His Stolen Princess
by NebulousMistress
Summary: AU. After his plans at the Wisconsin reunion were crushed Vlad didn't really think much of the pubescent spitfire of a girl who by Jack's failure had been made into a second ghost hybrid. But nearly five years later he realized Danny might be his only chance at the one thing he's always wanted: biological children. Pompous pep, Fem!Danny/Vlad. Cover by Noxicosis, used w/ permission
1. Kidnapped

Co-written between Tangerine Catnip and NebulousMistress

This is an AU. Let's get that out of the way first. Daniella Fenton, still known as Danny, is a girl. Other than that everything is exactly as you've come to expect. Although Phantom Planet never happened.

Now... And this is important here...

This story deals with some very harsh themes. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and graphic rape with the goal being forced pregnancy.

Allow me to repeat that. GRAPHIC RAPE!

Now, for the record, neither of us condone this sort of behavior. Heck, one of the RPers has been on the receiving end of this sort of behavior. We have very personal reasons not to condone it. But that doesn't mean we can't write about it.

If you STILL read this AFTER BEING WARNED and you STILL feel the need to condemn us for putting these words on the page then you can BITE ME.

This fanfic is spawned from refurbished RP logs. It has been edited and the voices homogenized.

* * *

Daniella Fenton swirled the metal spoon through her bowl of porridge, mixing in the brown sugar. Her body still ached from being manhandled by two burly ghosts and being shoved in the trunk of a sleek black car. She rubbed her shoulder, fingers brushing the burn where the Plasmius Maximus had touched her skin, zapping away her ghost powers and leaving her at the mercy of her kidnappers. It was a nasty little device that left a halfa with such a cold empty sensation that not even Vlad used it without a very good reason. She looked up from her bowl to glare at Vlad again but he didn't seem to be the least put off by it. He was sitting there comfortably eating his own breakfast, assured in the knowledge that the metal brace around her leg would keep his guest at the table.

"Let me guess," Danny said, still struck by the oddity of this calm moment in the middle of her kidnapping. "I wasn't actually given a scholarship to the University of Liberal Arts Design. In fact, knowing you it probably doesn't even exist." Danny sighed. As far as falling for evil plans went this was a seriously stupid misjudgment on her part. Maybe she let her guard down because Vlad hadn't been very active in the last few years. Or maybe the rush of finishing high school made her forget she wasn't a normal person who could do normal things like go to college and get a good job.

"Oh, the school exists," Vlad said. "And your parents were quite thrilled when they called the numbers provided and everything was verified for them. Unfortunately it is quite a simple matter of having calls rerouted. Such an easy little instillation. But you are correct in figuring out that you were never accepted. The school likely doesn't even know you exist given you never applied. Your scholarship was a fraud as well." Vlad sat back in his chair, looking Danny up and down. "Dear girl, I'm surprised you haven't asked why you're here. After all, given our shared past, our shared... conditions... Surely you're curious as to why I've gone through all this trouble."

"Well usually you launch into a rant before I have to ask," Danny said. "I didn't think I needed to." She shook her head, letting her messy black fringe of hair fall over her eyes. She used the move as cover to scan the room. She didn't recognize the dining room but the castle had changed a lot in the five years she had known Vlad. The fact that the Wisconsin castle had been destroyed twice since her last visit probably didn't help her sense of recall. "I have to admit this is a softer reception than I'm used to getting. Normally I would be tied to a lab table right around now." She lifted her spoon to her lips, taking the tiniest bite she could. "Those pills are kind of ominous though…" She pointed to the capsules next to her breakfast dish, flicking her hair so she could glare at Vlad again.

"My dear, I long ago stopped trying to take you apart," Vlad said. "I have no reason to strap you to a lab table." A thought crossed his mind. "Unless of course you'd like me to... Nevermind, we'll get to that later. First, to discuss why you're here. Well, that does have something akin to why I used to kidnap you. You remember some of my failed plots. Cloning, genetic engineering, the perfect creation... I was going about it all wrong, my dear Daniella. I was thinking too hard. Trying too hard. I needed to simplify my plan.

"That's where you come in," he continued. "Surely you realize, dear girl, that you and I are the only members of our species. Why, there's no reason to think a human being would survive carrying a child of mine or that a human would be capable of fathering anything with you. Spawn of mine might very well try to phase through his mother's womb and kill them both while a human-bred fetus might very well simply fall out of you if you were to transform. Think about it, my dear. Surely you can appreciate the gravity of the situation we both find ourselves in. Never able to properly appreciate the touch of a true mate..."

Danny tried really hard to follow his train of thought, she really did. She hadn't ever really thought about motherhood. She hadn't even been able to hold down a boyfriend for more than a couple weeks before her ghost hunting brought it to an abrupt end. Not to mention the week that she spent caring for a flour sack with Valarie. That was more than enough to convince her she didn't need to think about kids for a very long time.

"That's genuinely disgusting, Vlad," she muttered. "Thanks for that mental image." Obviously he spent a lot more time thinking about his hybrid status than she did but that might simply be because he had more time to do so. "So you saying neither of us can have kids? I mean that's a bummer but it's not the end of the world. Surly a rich guy like you can adopt?" Danny shrugged her shoulders. "I'm still not seeing how this relates to you kidnapping me."

Vlad shook his head and sighed. Ah, Daniella, such a small-minded girl... The look he was giving her should have disturbed her more than anything he'd said thus far. "My dear, I didn't say we can't breed," he said. "I merely said we cannot breed with humans. After five years of calculations I've found no evidence that we're sterile." A grin spread across his face, an expression halfway between bashful and anticipatory. "On the contrary, I've found plenty of evidence suggesting that half-ghosts can produce viable children. But only when bred with other half-ghosts."

Danny blinked at him. Vlad was hinting at was so far outside her realm of possibility that it was taking a while for her to put the pieces together. "But we're the only half ghost in the world," she said, slowly shifting back on her chair as a district sense of dread began to take hold. "So the only way for use to have kids is if we..." Her spoon dropped to the floor with a thump as she realized. "No.. okay no… bad mental image bad..." She rested her head in her hands and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. The last piece of the puzzle still hovered out of her reach but her skin was already starting to crawl and she had to sense it coming. "You… you're not serious... you can't be that desperate, you already got the cat!"

Vlad nodded to himself; here was the expected reaction. "I don't consider myself desperate, Daniella," he said. "I have, after all, waited five years for you. For the perfect timing. I've spent a great deal of time, energy, and resources setting this up. Your parents think you're at college. Considering the periodic updates they'll be getting from a proxy they won't even think of a reason to be worried about you until next summer. Your friendships are few and far between. Those friendships that you have cultivated were told by your own words that you're going to be very busy for a very long while and that you won't be able to see them for a long, long time. This isn't desperation, my dear. This is triumph. I have earned this. I have you exactly where I want you. I have succeeded. You are alone, Danny. There is no one to save you because you were the one to make sure there was no one to miss you."

Danny's fingers grasped the table hard. She knew she was in trouble before but now... It was like she finally looked down and noticed the gaping chasm opening under her feet. "You've been waiting for me? How... how long have you planed this? All those years of fighting. No... no way..." She shook her head violently and scrambled to her feet but the chain prevented her from doing much more than stand beside her chair. "You can't... you can't just take something like that..."

She slammed her fist into the table. She wished she had her ghost powers just to feel it break. This was all starting to feel like a bad nightmare. "Think about this for a moment, Vlad. I'm your enemy! I'm pesky little bratty Danny Fenton! You don't really want me like that."

"And why wouldn't I, my dear?" he asked. "You're beautiful with a fiery passion unmatched by any I've ever known. You've developed into quite a young woman. A little thin, perhaps, but we can easily fix that. You're strong, capable, willful, stubborn, and caring. Why wouldn't I want you?" He gestured to the pills next to her bowl. "Those are prenatal vitamins. You can take them willingly or not. Be reminded, however, if you don't take them willingly they will be ground up and stirred into your food. I hear they taste terrible in powdered form."

Danny looked at Vlad like he had grown two heads. She tried to step back. Her cheeks were brushing bright red at the complements, too shocked to speak. Of all the people in the world that she could imagine herself lying with Vlad was the last on the list next to her father. But his words... he sounded so serious... She looked at the pills. Vlad wasn't just serious he was going whole hog on this. Danny crossed her arms over her chest defensively. She backed away from Vlad, nearly tripping herself again. "You're going to force me to... to have your…" She couldn't do it. This was so wrong, so very wrong. She couldn't even say it.

"I have spent the last few years preparing for your inevitable maturity," Vlad said, getting up and slowly sauntering around the table. "I falsified the university's acceptance, I set up the scholarship, I even remodeled the castle in preparation for this day. Don't think of it as being forced, my dear. Think of it as an arrangement. After all, I don't get to pick either. Instead I get your skinny little bony butt. We all have to do things we don't fully appreciate. Like taking our vitamins..."

Vlad picked up the pills and reached for her, gripping her hair in one hand and shoving the pills into her mouth with the other. He held her jaw closed and waited for them to dissolve. Waited for them to start tasting horrid enough that she swallowed them on her own. It didn't take long. Danny struggled against Vlad but didn't manage much beyond pulling her own hair and putting on a show. Vlad pulled her into a tight hold, her back to his chest. The taste in her mouth grew unbearable and she reflexively swallowed. When Vlad's hand lowered a moment later she was genuinely surprised that she was still conscious.

"Y-you're nuts, Vlad... You're not going to get away with this..." She struggled in his arms but worn out and without her powers she was just a feisty little girl only three quarters the size of her elder captor.

"I don't see why not," Vlad purred. "After all, I already have. I have... nine months before anyone thinks you might be in trouble. Nine months before anyone even starts looking for you. Imagine all we can get accomplished in nine months." He held her with one arm while he ran his fingers through her hair, almost as though trying to soothe the strands he'd tugged. He leaned down to smell her hair, holding back a moan at her scent. It had been far too long since he allowed himself to smell a woman. "We begin tonight, my dear."

Danny gave a high-pitched squeak. "T-tonight," she repeated, her stomach flipping like she was on a carnival ride. "Vlad I-I can't... I've never..." Her brain shut her up instantly. Vlad didn't need to know that. She attempted to kick Vlad but found herself lifted off the ground before she could land a hit. Without warning she was slung over the elder's shoulder, hanging upside down as the world spun in circles. A hand brushed up her thighs and held her steady. The chain around her foot must have been phased off.

Vlad brought her to her new bedroom. After all, being kidnapped right after her morning flight landed, dragged here bound and gagged in the trunk of a car, hit with the upgraded Plasmius Maximus, then having to learn all about her fate, well... It was a lot to take in. She needed some time to processes her new reality. He pressed his hand to the hidden panel, turning off the ghost shield using his ectosignature. Then he walked right in and dropped her on the bed. "This is your room," he explained. "Everything in here is yours to do with what you will. Keep in mind I might not replace your things if you destroy them. This room including the balcony and the bathroom is enclosed in a ghost shield. I expect you to be presentable in time for dinner tonight at sunset. You will be dining with me and then we'll begin." He raked his eyes up and down her form, leaving her with a parting leer before turning and heading back out.

He locked the door with key and activated the ghost shield. He'd won.

The door clicked as it was locked. Danny let her shoulders slump, sinking back onto the bed. She took a few deep breathes, trying to keep calm. She needed to stay calm. Vlad would expect panic, he had practically said as much. He would have already prepared for that.

For the first time it occurred to her that the ceiling looked awfully soft. She realized she was actually looking at a canopy overhanging the bed. Danny sat up and looked around her temporary prison, taking in all the things Vlad had felt a young lady would need to be happy. The first thing that leaped to her eyes was the colors, eggshell white and soft yellows with flecks of gold in swirls on the bedspread and the trimmings on the oak queen sized bed. The colors amplified the light streaming in through the large balcony window. There was a large bookshelf on the far wall stacked with the shiny covers of new books. On closer inspection they were just fresh prints of old classics. There was a prevalence for children's fiction that gave Danny the sinking feeling that Vlad was getting way ahead of himself.

Danny shivered and pushed herself up, her fingers closed around something soft and fuzzy. She found herself holding the arm of a teddy bear with long brown fur and a ribbon tired around its neck. She threw it as hard as she could. The bear bounced off the painted stonework of a fireplace and landed on the sofa safe and sound.

Danny huffed and got to her feet, heading straight for the balcony. The fresh morning air felt good on her face. If she was going to escape this was her best bet. Her highly trained eyes begin taking in the variables, deciding what was important and what wasn't. She didn't let herself get discouraged when she realized the balcony was five stories up, instead focusing on the castle grounds and taking stock of what it would take to get out of here.

First challenge was getting out of this room. After that there was a maze of passageways in the castle. Not a challenge if she had her ghost powers but right now that was a big 'if'. Then there was the huge wall enclosing the perimeter of the castle. That was new. Danny gripped the balcony edge. She really hoped that little addition was to keep something out and not her in. The harder Vlad schemed the more he would fight to keep his investment. She was really trying not to think about the years of planning the elder halfa mentioned even though it made sense in some sick twisted way. If Vlad was desperate enough to clone himself a half ghost son why should he think anything of getting one the normal way?

It had never really occurred to her the only half ghosts in the world could form a breeding pair. Her thoughts turned to Samson the purple-back gorilla. After the whole mix-up Samson had been moved to a zoo in Japan to share a cage with the last male of her species in hope that they would procreate. Danny wondered if she had felt like this. Probably not; a bad tempered gorilla couldn't be worse than Vlad.

Danny reached out a hand, looking for the ghost shield she knew was there. This one was invisible so it was impossible to guess how large it was. She considered throwing herself off in the hope that she could transform before she hit the ground but even if she could pull together the courage to do that it wouldn't be an option until her powers returned.

She walked back over the threshold into the room, wondering for a moment what would become of her bags. The ghosts that kidnapped her had taken them but she doubted Vlad would let her have them back. She figured he must have left clothes in the dresser. Danny turned to it and made a face. She was going to regret looking, she just knew it. She threw open the doors of the armoire and pouted at the display of soft fabrics and bright colors. Not a single pair of jeans or a t-shirt. In fact there weren't any pants at all. Skirts and dresses only. She fiddled with the drawers and quickly noticed the lack of undergarments; she didn't even want to know what that was about.

A quick walk around the bathroom and a splash of cold water on her face brought back her senses. She felt hot and dirty from her kidnapping. One tends to sweat a bit when tied up and helpless in a dark trunk, not to mention the ghosts who threw her in there were slimy.

Given what Vlad had just told her getting naked for a shower seemed like a very bad idea. On the other hand she knew Vlad well enough to know he wouldn't lay her in a bed like that and not use it. Besides, he'd threatened 'tonight', that meant he wanted her to stew while he was gone. Not to mention the hot water could wash away the important bits for his plan; no point in taking that risk. Danny shivered in disgust. Trying to guess what Vlad would do was unnerving but probably useful in the long run. If she could keep her sanity.

Danny pulled her shirt off along with the purple bra that kept her modest bust in line. Her smaller chest combined with her love of loose clothing had earned her a reputation as even more of a tomboy than her friend Sam.

Danny closed her eyes tightly. Vlad was wrong. Her friends would know something was wrong and they would come for her. They wouldn't be fooled by fake letters; best friends since kindergarten couldn't be fooled like that. She just had to hold out as best she could until then. She could do that. Vlad was twice her age after all and she wouldn't fall for the Plasmius Maximus twice.

Her pants unbuttoned easily. She threw them aside and hopped into the shower quickly so she didn't have to look at herself in the mirror any longer. Hot water ran down her shoulders, her back, her legs. She found a bar of soap, scented with something soft and sweet. Jasmine, maybe.

After a good half hour of moping she finally stepped out of the shower. Her black hair was dripping wet and stuck to her neck and shoulders. Something was wrong though. She looked around the room and realized her clothes were gone. She probably should have seen that one coming. All that was left was her bra. She slung it over her shoulder, fingernails digging into her palm. She hadn't sensed anyone entering the room so either Vlad was stealthier than he looked or there was more than one entrance to her cell. She would need to test the walls to see if she could find any hidden doors.

Danny walked back into the main room. She had a ton of shirts and jeans but not here, not with her. They had been her only link to the world outside Vlad's castle. From this point forward everything she touched would be tainted with fruitloop.

She dug through the armoire again, looking for the least dorky of the outfits. She came up with a white dress with a black bow around the hips. It looked comfortable enough and would be nicely ruined by her purple brastraps sticking out. She threw it on and ran her fingers through her hair, toweling it off and messing it up as best as she could. Every little rebellion counted in situations like this.

Danny face planted on the bed again, before rolling over and resuming her staring match with the ceiling. It was going to be a long day until dinner.

* * *

Danny ran a hand over the wooden desk. She tried to keep calm as she searched but the setting sun outside made it hard to focus. Her fingers slid over paper and glue and other office supplies until she found the drawer with pens in it. She would have preferred a letter opener but this would have to do. She found the sharpest looking one and tucked it in her bra, shifting it into someplace where it wouldn't stick out. One last check of the bathroom to be absolutely sure she hadn't just misplaced her underwear. Anything to make her feel less exposed. Given the nature of the battle ahead it felt like going in without armor.

She walked back into the bedroom, a sudden chill running down her spine, her lips parted and her next exhale was cold as ice. Her blue eyes flicked to the bed and she contemplated trying to hide under it. She was just bending down to see if she could try it when the hidden panel slid away with a click. She took a step back as her archenemy entered the room. He was dressed up for the occasion, not that it was unusual for him but this particular suit looked a lot less restraining that his usual attire. He was even wearing a normal belt for once. He looked rather stylish in his own way. If Danny was 30 years older and didn't know Vlad was the king of all fruitloops she might have considered him attractive. However, this Danny wanted no part. She stepped back and refused to show fear. "Evening, Vlad," she spat, her blue eyes flashing green. Her powers were returning though not as fast as she would have liked. She still couldn't transform but Vlad didn't need to know that.

"Good evening, my dear," Vlad purred. He looked her up and down, taking in the dress she'd chosen for the evening. White, how fitting. How virginal. Somehow Vlad had the feeling that that dress would not be surviving the night intact, much like Daniella's precious innocence. Vlad held out an arm. "Will you be coming with me quietly or are we going to have to do this the hard way?" He gave her a look that indicated he would not wait for her answer long. If he had to do this the hard way he would not hold back. She had to learn that he was capable of so much more than he'd shown her in their little hero-villain spats. It would be better for her if she learned it now rather than later.

Danny bit her lip, a nervous habit she shared with her mother. Her bare toes dug into the carpet. She needed to get out of this room, someplace that wasn't reinforced by a ghost shield. "I'll come easily as long as you keep your hands to yourself," she said.

"My dear, that defeats the purpose," Vlad drawled. "But I do hope we can make it through dinner without you flipping the table or attempting some sort of show of strength or escape or some such nonsense. I promise that if you can behave yourself I will not lay a hand on you in anger. Surely that must count for something."

Against all her instincts she stepped forward, flinching when Vlad took her arm. They stepped out of the room together and Danny tried to make herself relax. Catching Vlad off his guard wouldn't work if she felt like a coiled spring.

"I can make your time here pleasant, even enjoyable," Vlad said, almost conversationally. "Or I can make your life into the living hell that you so seem to desire. Whether your nights are filled with pleasure or pain is yours to decide, Daniella. But know this." He stopped them in the hallway, allowing his eyes to smoulder like red coals. "I will not have you jeopardizing what I have worked for out of some foolish, misguided, insane hope that I might take pity on you or that someone might somehow telepathically sense your plight. The fantasy that was your life is over now, my dear. Wake up to your reality."

For a moment Danny was seriously tempted to spit in his face, but the look in Vlad's eyes was so unnerving that she lost her courage for it. They turned a corner and the doors to the dining room opened. She tugged away as the hand holding her finally loosened. She settled down in her chair, her anger showing. "You're the one trapped in a fantasy, Vlad," she said bitterly. "One where everyone lives to serve you. You're not just crazy, you're an all-around awful person." Her fingers balled into fists in her lap. "I won't ever serve you, not willingly. You know that as well as I do."

"I know that opinions change, my dear," Vlad said, leveling her with a look that was halfway between a glare and a fond indulgence. "Your view of me will change. You're not the first woman to be in your position just as I am not the first man in mine." Vlad took his napkin off the table and placed it in his lap with a flourish. As if on cue a ghost, little more than a shade, drifted into the room with a tray. Their first course was placed in front of them and the shade dissolved.

Oysters. Vlad gave Danny a look that clearly told her she was expected to eat before he picked up a shell and slurped the meat out of it.

Danny slumped in her seat, looking down at the shellfish. Over her shoulder the shade leaned forward to fill to glasses with a light bubbly liquid. The ghost girl blinked at it and reached for her glass, thinking it was some kind of soda before she took a sip and noticed the slight tang of alcohol on her tongue. She put the glass down and turned back to her food. There was no reason not to eat besides to prove a point and she would need the strength it could provide. Vlad also hadn't seen fit to provide her with lunch, so she was starving.

She picked up her own shell much more carefully, tipping the contents passed her lips. The meat was chewy and had been dipped in a creamy sauce that tasted just faintly of wine and cheese. Despite herself Danny made a soft sound of appreciation, it was unbelievably tasty. She picked up the second and third shell eating them far too fast, and a moment later she was left licking her fingers, happy for a brief second before she remembered the dinner company. She dropped her hand and quickly washed away the taste in her mouth, forgetting it was champagne and therefore not a good idea to drink before an escape attempt.

Vlad chuckled at Danny's incivility. She took after her father in that regard, unfortunately. It was something he would have to break her of at some point in the future. Something to do in the months ahead while his primary plan came to fruition. Meanwhile he took his time with his oysters. He slurped the contents up, enjoying the slight burn of pepper along with the soft, buttery taste of the shellfish. He took his time, making her wait for the next course. She would learn to take things at his preferred speeds. That or she would find herself spending half her life bored and waiting, the other half running around frantic.

Danny kicked her legs like an impatient child. She looked around the room again, noting the doors and how many steps she though it would take for her to get to each one. She made a show of adjusting her dress to cover the fact she was checking for her makeshift weapon. A pen would be a poor defense without the element of surprise though; she needed the prefect moment. The silence dragged on for a few more moments and Danny started to fidget; it wasn't something she normally did but the situation was tense enough already and wiggling around was preferable to thinking about what Vlad was planning for her.

"I couldn't help but notice my new wardrobe is lacking in a certain department," she said suddenly, shooting a look at Vlad. "I know I'm going to regret asking, but was that intentional?"

"Of course it was intentional," Vlad said as he fixed his last oyster. "You will not be allowed to wear pants or underwear until such time as I decide you have earned that right. Speaking of, you won't have that bra for long, either. You don't need one for support, not yet anyway." He slurped the oyster, swallowing with a quiet hum as he dropped the shell on his plate. The oysters were as much for her benefit as his own but he fancied he could feel them working. Or maybe that was the conversation's direction affecting him. He gestured for the plates to be taken as the shade returned. Their plates were replaced with the second course, salmon with saffron and a colorful vegetable garnish, their champagne with glasses of a deep red wine.

Danny sat in stunned silence, very sure Vlad had just made a crack about her breast size. She crossed one arm over her chest like she was protecting the little purple snippet of clothing. He was seriously saying she had to earn the privilege to wear fucking underwear. Vlad really was going to try to take everything away from her. She grabbed her fork angrily and skewered a carrot, growling around the bite as she slid it into her mouth. Fuck, even the vegetables were irresistible. She worked her way clockwise around her plate taking bites of everything while still trying to look angry as she did it.

She eyed her glass. One glass of wine probably wouldn't hurt. She drank, her belly feeling pleasantly contented with all this rich food. Her shoulders slumped; the day had caught up to her faster than she was hoping.

Vlad picked up his glass of red wine and seemed to be halfway to proposing a toast before he decided against it. She wouldn't appreciate it. Not yet, anyway. Maybe in another year she might. Maybe only a few months. It all depended on her. Speaking of... "Tonight will be our first attempt," he said before taking a bite of flaky, fluffy salmon. "We don't have a very large window of opportunity so we will be making the attempt quite often for the first week. After that, well, it depends on a few things. If you respond poorly to my touch, for instance, then I will have to make sure you have ample opportunity to grow accustomed to it."

Danny stared at the floor, wishing ideally that Vlad had been foolish enough to provide her with a knife. She hated he way he said 'our' like she had agreed to this. Vlad could sugarcoat it any way he wanted but he was still speaking ideally of how he planned to rape her. Danny thought back to what she remembered from health class and realized... "You've been tracking my cycle," Danny replied flatly. Honestly nothing surprised her anymore. She shook her head and wrapped her arms about herself defensively sinking back into her seat. "The day I grow accustomed to your touch is the day I throw myself off the roof of your castle."

"I can imagine many worse fates for you than growing accustomed to my touch," Vlad said, his easy demeanor descending into something harder, something that growled underneath the surface. "For example, what might have befallen you in Walker's prison. Oh but do try to convince me that being used as the sexual plaything of Walker's guards and of course the warden himself is somehow worse than being offered pleasure by a comforting set of hands. Here you will be taken care of, Daniella. You will be kept fed, kept safe, kept comfortable. But only so long as you accept your new reality. If you insist upon defying me I will be forced to take measures. You will realize what you have here with me, my dear. Even if that means I have to take it all away from you first." With that he put his fork down and waved for his plate to be taken away. Vlad's half-eaten salmon was taken away by the shade before it swooped down to take Danny's plate, not caring if she was finished or not.

The third course was served. A small pile of fruit looked up at Danny from the porcelain plate. The ghost girl sighed; even though she promised not to let Vlad's words get to her they were starting to sink in. She didn't need his caring anything but this whole environment was set up to say otherwise. Vlad had her trapped and forced to be dependent on him and was now trying to convince her that she needed him. A clever mind game. Even though she understood it she could not defend against… at least not fully. The longer she stayed the further she would slide into Vlad's trap. It was that or remain miserable for the rest of her short life.

"If what you've told me of your plan is true you wouldn't have allowed Walker to do that. You need me whole and fresh to get what you want."

"I didn't even know you existed then," Vlad said. "But yes. Now I won't let him touch you like that. But then... I wouldn't have lost a thing since I didn't know I needed you."

Vlad picked up a fig half and bit into it, juice staining his lips. Some berries chosen for their dark red color sat clustered around the one little mythical touch that Vlad had allowed himself. Six pomegranate seeds. Admittedly this did cast him as the lord of the underworld but the Rape of Persephone was fitting considering the circumstances. "If I don't know you're in danger then I have no reason to come to your aid. But then you'd like that, wouldn't you. Casting me as some black knight in your personal fairy tale. It doesn't work that way, my dear."

Danny's eyes flashed green with anger. "You mean like you casting me as the innocent princess, who you, the villain, get to defile and rebuild into your prefect maternal slave?" The conversation was starting to take a bad turn and Danny set about eating again. She popped the fruit covered seeds into her mouth one by one, then taking a bite of the fig. Her life couldn't have been the lie he was telling her it was. This fantasy of Vlad's was the lie, one she needed to escape, the sooner the better. She dropped the husk of the fig; they must be almost done with dinner by now. She could feeling the tension thickening by the second.

Well, she was certainly becoming passionate. It was near enough to the reaction that Vlad wanted for him to think that maybe the carefully constructed meal was working. It was certainly working on him. He wanted her. He wanted her badly. But he had to wait for the right moment. He couldn't simply bend her over the table and take her. Well, he could, but he was no monster. Her little slip of the tongue that morning had verified a suspicion he'd had about her. She was a virgin. He wouldn't defile a virgin like that. Her first time needed to be gentle, passionate, soft and sweet. She needed to be held. Whether she wanted it or not.

He gestured and the last course was brought out. Two little chocolate truffles and a dollop of sweet vanilla cream. Vlad picked up a truffle, swiped it across the cream on his plate, and popped the confection in his mouth.

Danny crossed her legs tightly. She picked up the little ball of cocoa and sugar and popped it into her mouth, sticking her finger into the cream and licking it off. The rich chocolate set of the endorphins that made the treat so irresistible. She reached for her second but Vlad was quicker, plucking it from her plate and dipping in in the cream properly. He held it out for her, testing to see if she wanted the treat enough to eat it from his hand. Danny's blue eyes narrowed and her lips formed a pout. One long second and she made up her mind, griping the table and leaning forward. Her soft lips and tongue brushed his fingers momentarily, and he pulled away before Danny could bite.

"Good girl," Vlad whispered as she took the truffle from his hand. His eyes stayed fixed on her form, on her figure, her movements, her eyes and lips... He was going to enjoy tonight. Mentally he started envisioning what he would do, how she would taste, the noises she might make... He wanted to let her have her hands free so she could hold him in her pleasure but it was an unlikely fantasy. He didn't need an ectoblast to the head to throw him out of the mood. After all, if she made him angry he might forget that he was doing this for her as well as himself.

The dessert was gone soon after it arrived. The last of the plates were cleared away, leaving only the two hybrids and two glasses of wine. So this was the moment then, the moment where the lovers retired to their chamber for the night. Up to now Danny had played along, but now that was about to end. She made to adjust her dress, sneaking the pen out from under her bra and into her hand. It pressed against her wrist reassuringly and she sat up straight. Everything was riding on the next few moments and how fast she could run. Her eyes met Vlad's and Danny held her breath.

Vlad took one last sip of wine, draining his glass. This was it. The next few moments would determine the tone of the rest of the night. He put his glass down and stood up, offering Danny his hand. "Shall we?" he asked.

Danny stood and made to take his hand, keeping a tight rein on her emotions even as she flipped the pen with her fingers and griped the bottom like it was a dagger. "No offense, fruitloop, but I'm going to have to refuse." With an angry cry, she dug her heels into the carpet and launched at him like a wild animal. She aimed for his neck but a fist collided with the hand holding the pen before she could thrust it in, sending it spinning away. A second hit caught her in the belly and she flopped to the floor; not what she had been hoping for but at least she was out of Vlad's reach.

Glad she had chosen a short dress and no fancy shoes or socks, the ghost girl scrambled to her feet and ran from the room, not looking back as she rounded the corner. Sprinting at top speed, she closed her eyes and threw everything into an attempt to transform. "Come on, come on," she chanted to herself as the rings appeared around her hips. For one blissful moment she almost had it, then her foot caught on something and she tripped. On the way down Danny realized what a bad idea it had been to run with her eyes closed, but there wasn't much she could do now but skid across the floor till friction brought her to another halt.

Left alone in the dining room, Vlad was gritted his teeth. Of course. Of course she would do this! What was he thinking, even allowing himself to entertain the notion that this night might go well! Of course she wasn't going to allow him to have her! Ugh... Vlad crushed the pen in his hand and transformed. He flew off down the hall, following her trail. There was no way out of the castle this way but if she'd transformed and flew off then he could be spending most of the night looking for her. What a way to spend a romantic evening. "That was a very naughty thing you did, Daniella," Vlad called as he flew. "I was going to be gentle for you, my dear. After all, you've never done this before. A girl's first time can be quite painful. I was going to do all I could to keep you from hurting, to make you feel good. Come out and I still might."

He turned a corner to see her crumpled against the wall. He clucked his tongue. "So clumsy, my dear," he said.

Danny jerked her head up, her hand curling into a fist. "Shut up!" Once again the rings appeared and this time they made it partway up her torso before they snapped back, drawing a scream of frustration. She got back to her feet and made a dive for the next room, slamming the heavy wooden door behind her even though that would not stop her pursuer. She leaped deftly over a couch and past a grand piano, running the opposite way and weaving through as many rooms as she could.

Vlad chased her, phasing through slammed doors and drifting through rooms. So she couldn't transform. That made things easier. He duplicated, sending shades into probable rooms she might be running to. He toyed with her, appearing behind doors she threw open, herding her down a path he chose. It was a game, a game he thoroughly enjoyed. He found himself laughing maniacally as he chased her. This fact shocked even him but he decided to just go along with it. "You can't escape me, my dear," he called as she ducked through another door. Dead end. She came back through and kept running. "This is my castle. I know where these doors lead. Do you?" Another door with a shade behind it. That shade brightened into a duplicate that flew at her. She slammed the door and kept running while Vlad's taunts seemed to come from all around her.

Danny's chest heaved violently, her mouth dry and her eyes wide. There was a cramp in her side, her body complaining about the lack of a warm up. Her feet hurt from slamming onto wooden and stone floors again and again. If this was gym class she would have given up but adrenaline kept her going far better than the screams of any teacher. She wondered if this was all just a bad dream. She spotted a duplicate down the hallway and ducked into a passage, nearly tripping over a spiral staircase. For a second she was hopeful - finally a way down. She took the stairs two at a time and vaulted over the banister when she was close enough to the ground. Her feet landed on tile and she scanned this room, her hope crushed as she realized she was standing beside a pool, a small roman-style bathhouse built into what looked like the foundation of the castle. One way in, one way out. she turned on her heel and tried to go back up the stairs but was stopped in her tracks when a gloved hand closed around her hair, wrenching her head back till she was looking into blood red eyes.

"Here you are," Vlad purred. One arm held an iron grip around her heaving chest, the other kept her in this position as a duplicate joined them. "I see you found something fun. But this isn't for tonight, my dear. No, you have to earn the right to take advantage of this room. So for now..." He grabbed her wrists and shoved them together in front of her, using ectoplasm to bind them together. "Let's see what else you have hidden in this pretty white dress of yours," he said as he ripped it off of her. The fabric shredded, scattered all around her as he tore it away. The bra suffered the same fate before he split. One of him held her still while the other ran his hands over every inch of bare skin.

Danny kicked and cried out loudly but all she managed to do was tread air as the fabric was torn from her like wrapping paper off a highly anticipated gift. Her cheeks blushed bright red. She tried to twist away from the hands running up her torso but trapped between two Vlads there we nowhere to twist that didn't lead to her being pressed against him. His gloved fingers ran unhindered over her body, down her side and up her legs. She clenched her thighs together as Vlad's fingers touched her hips. Her deep breaths made even her modest breasts heave with exertion. "No," she begged. "No no no get off!"

Vlad ignored her pleas. Instead he phased his hand through her clenched thighs and felt along the skin there, reaching up to purposefully caress her core. He rubbed his fingers between her nether lips, feeling her surprised gasp. From there his hands went up her sides to cup her breasts then along her shoulders and down her arms. Back up her neck to her hair. He gripped her and pulled her head back, forcing her to look him in the eyes again. "I'm not a cruel man," he told her. "But I will have my prize."

Vlad's words were sweet but hollow, not a shred of doubt in his eyes. He would get everything he wanted from the young fertile body he was laying his eyes on fully for the first time. She had none of the curves of her mother but those would come in time once she was carrying his first heir. She was still beautiful in her own way though. Strong and slightly toned from years of superhero work, skinny but with lots of potential to grow into a fine woman.

The duplicate vanished as Vlad hoisted her up and lifted her over his shoulder. She could kick and scream all she wanted but he would not let her go. He held her thighs together with one arm, kept her steady with a hand resting on her curved butt. Then he changed back and made his way up the stairs the old-fashioned way. On foot.

Bent over Vlad's shoulder, Danny was unable to do more than slam her firsts into Vlad's back. The elder didn't even seem to notice the hits; he was too preoccupied with feeling up her bare backside. She struggled all the way back up the two flights of stairs. Vlad took his sweet time to let her work out her aggression. By the time they had made it to her room she was dead weight in his arms, exhausted by her struggles. The door opened to his touch and they were back inside.

Given the fact that she'd already tried to run away Vlad was grateful he'd had the foresight to install restraints on the bedposts. With a grand gesture he dumped her on the bed, foregoing the more gentle "laying her down on the bed". No, she didn't get to experience that. As fun as the chase had been she was still a very naughty girl for trying to run away. The bounce had her off balance just long enough for him to shackle one ankle in place. Then he moved to the head of the bed and grabbed her wrists. The ectoplasm bonds dissolved as he shackled first one wrist then the other, uncaring as she clawed at him, struck him, fought with all her might.

She was beautiful like this. Despite her flaws, her physical imperfections, her impossibly young figure. Her passion, her strength, the fire in her eyes as she cursed him and screamed at him, as she thrashed against her bonds while he shackled her remaining ankle, even the tears that shone in her eyes as she couldn't fight the reality of the situation. That made her beautiful.

Vlad began to undress.

Danny slumped back against the bed, her eyes stinging with tears. Even her infinite well of bravado cracked under the cold metal of the restraints holding her down spread eagle and exposed. Frightened blue eyes watched as Vlad undressed himself in front of her. She continued to tug at the chains, unwilling to give up the hope that they would loosen or break.

Vlad rested his suit jacket over the nearby sofa and placed his belt on top of it. Hands went down to unbutton his pants and Danny looked away sharply. She stared at the canopy as tears slid down her cheeks. A slight dip in the bed and she felt Vlad's presence over her. Dull indigo eyes looked down at her. Danny had never been given the look Vlad was giving her now ever before. It was the look of a man who wanted something oh so desperately and was mere moments from finally having it. He wanted her and there was nothing stopping him. Maybe it was the years of Vlad failing to woo her mother but Danny had never thought Vlad would be capable of this. The years of loneliness had finally driven him mad.

"Vlad…" she whispered. "Listen to me. Y-you can't do this... I'm still to young. I-I can't..."

"Shh," he shushed, stroking a hand down the side of her face. He kissed her cheek, tasting the salty tears that stained her pretty blue eyes. "You're absolutely perfect, my dear. Believe me when I say that. Let me show you how perfect..."

He drew down her body, kissing a trail to her pert little breasts. He kissed her nipples, darting his tongue out to lave them slowly. The small buds reacted easily to the lazy swirls of Vlad's tongue, hardening and perking up.

Vlad's kisses and touches were deceptively soft and after a while Danny couldn't help but respond to it. Her skin tingled with feather-light touches and now that she was helpless there was nothing to do but relax into them and the intense feeling of being fawned over. Danny took deep breaths, her body reacting to the strong male presence even against her own better judgment. Biology dictated that she seek out a mate with strength and power, both of which Vlad had in spades. Women her age would fall over Vlad for the mention of his pocketbook, even without knowledge of his superhuman abilities. There was also a musky scent that made her head swim. Danny closed her eyes, attempting to push away the crawling warmth that engulfed her body.

He reached a hand down to rub against her core, his fingers sliding along her clit, over the hidden opening who's purpose would be well served tonight. She was still resisting him, was still too dry to the touch. Flicks of uncomfortable sensation came from the fingertip rubbing her clit and Danny was relieved when the hand was pulled back again.

Vlad resumed his exploration of her body with his lips, kissing down to her hips. He pressed a wet kiss to both of her hip bones while he slid his hands up to rub her belly and wrap around her waist. He kissed her hips, down one thigh and then back up. He did the other as his hands gripped her hips, held her still. She'd stopped wiggling, giving herself over to despair. No matter. He would transmute despair to something that shined like an alchemist turning lead to gold. He gave her one more smouldering look, something akin to triumph in his lustful eyes, before descending on her core with his mouth. Vlad's hands drifted to her inner thighs, pressing them apart as his tongue sought out her taste. Her lips parted with a press of his tongue and he felt her finally begin to get wet. Her taste was addictive, just a little sharp on his tongue, as he lapped at her clit and nuzzled her lips.

Danny was completely unprepared for the feeling of Vlad's tongue between her legs. She wimped loudly as it prodded her, teasing and licking and generally feeling wet and hot all over the spots that were hardwired with nerve endings. Blood headed south rapidly and the little hood of flesh protecting her clit slid back as it swelled, the once painful sensation turning to white hot pleasure. Her legs twitched and she found herself sinking against the bed.

Vlad glanced up. Her tears had stopped and her eyes were closed. A challenge, then, to pull her back from merely lying back and thinking of England. A challenge he felt he should at least attempt to best before having her. He lapped at her opening, darting his tongue into her. He moaned at her taste, the sound rumbling against her. He felt her shudder in response. Well then. He wrapped his lips around her clit and hummed.

Vlad's hum against her second set of lips drew a long moan from Danny. She lifted her head and saw her archenemy's face buried between her legs. The sucking around the tiny nub of flesh was making her legs tremble. Vlad pulled back for a moment and her hips bucked up a little until Vlad's tongue slid over her labia and dipped into her again. Danny's concentration broke entirely and this time her moan filled the room. She could feel herself getting wet, her body responding eagerly and preparing itself. It was getting hard to think as every motion coaxed her deeper into physical pleasure. She whimpered almost non-stop, pulling on her bindings and shaking like she was having trouble settling down.

Vlad knew if her hands were free her fingers would be buried in his hair. Whether to shove him away or hold him there he wasn't entirely sure and he realized she wouldn't know either. He slid his hands up her thighs, his fingers brushing the crease where leg met with hips. His thumbs reached in to hold her outer lips apart as he pressed his face closer to her. His tongue traced her inner lips, just reaching inside her. She tasted best there but he wanted to save that. He wanted her first penetration to be from his cock, not from his tongue. Instead he nuzzled her before going back to lap at her clit over and over. He drank in her sounds, her scent, her taste, and especially her movements. Those movements grew more chaotic as her moans grew more desperate. She tasted different now, softer. He couldn't get enough.

Danny's heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. Her skin was probably hot enough to fry an egg on. Each movement was almost painful in its pleasure. Messy hair fell over her flushed face, her struggling grew more intense with the flickers of bliss coming from her hips. She rocked into each lick, her moans growing shorter and closer as the pace sped up. The jolts threatened to bring her over the edge as they got closer and closer together. How had Vlad learned to do this with his tongue? It was almost unreal how her whole body could fall into such small movements. His pace didn't even falter, he just kept on licking her like she was a delicious treat. She wouldn't last much longer, though what she was lasting out for she had no idea. The waves just kept coming and coming until one came and didn't go away.

Danny's back arched and she cried out, loud enough that someone could have mistaken it for a scream of fatal agony. Her insides convulsed and her toes curled against the blanket. Her thoughts lost any sense while she couldn't comprehend anything but her own complete bliss.

Vlad could feel her cumming around him, feel it in the muscles of her thighs, feel in the spasms under his tongue, taste it in the flood of juices against his lips, hear it in her scream of pleasure. He purred, sighing in pleasure at having done this to her. Perhaps she wouldn't resist him so much next time. Still, now there was his own pleasure to consider and of course the entire point of keeping her here. She was more than ready for him. Vlad crawled up the length of her body, covering her with his weight. He angled his throbbing cock at her entrance and slowly pressed inside.

She was tight, still gripping at him with the scattered remains of her orgasm. She was wet, so wet as he slid easily into her. His hips settled in between her spread legs as he groaned in pleasure. He wanted to stay here forever. But no, not with her bony hips digging into his. Not with her whimpering voice right next to his ear. He kissed her neck and began to thrust.

Danny looked down, barely able to grasp what was happening before Vlad was already moving inside her. She couldn't do anything; her wrists were tied and her pussy was not going to deny him anything. Her muscles clenched a little as something inside her stretched to make room for him. He was so hard and hot and he rubbed against places she hadn't even realized she had. Vlad was inside her. She had just lost her virginity to her archenemy. Danny sobbed at the indignity of it all.

Vlad lost himself in his own pleasure, not feeling the stab of her bony hipbones or hearing her soft sobs of protest. He buried his face in her neck and thrust into her. She smelled so good, felt wonderful... "You're so beautiful," he whispered, his lips next to her ear. He dragged himself out of his own well of sensation. This was her first time, after all. And she was his, completely his. She would never forget this night. She would never forget that she belonged to him. "You feel so wonderful," he murmured. "So hot, so wet... I want to keep doing this forever..."

Danny's eyes were hooded and blurred with tears. Vlad's pace changed from slow and soft to rough and desperate in a matter of seconds. Ownership and pride dripped from every dirty panted syllable as he fucked her. Her inner walls quivered along with the rest of her. She could feel the slight jerk every time Vlad bottomed out inside her, feel it jolting through every inch of her slender frame.

Vlad kissed down her neck as his hands went to her breasts. His fingertips toyed with her nipples as his lips met her ear again. "You're perfect, my dear," he whispered. "You have no idea how much I've wanted you for so long." The fiery coil of pleasure burned in his gut. "I'm going to cum. I'm going to cum deep inside you. This is what you do to me, my dear. I'm going to fill you so much you will be feeling it for days..." That coil burned brighter and hotter, lashing at his self-control, ripping it away until he arched back and snarled at the canopy. He slammed into her, shooting hot cum deep inside her trembling body.

The chains strained as Danny pulled hard against them. Vlad's rhythmic thrusts into her stirred up her insides and made her want to melt but she couldn't relax into it, not when his plan was moments away from being sealed. She sobbed at his whispers, trapped and helpless for when the final thrust came. It poured into her hot and thick, no doubt millimetres away from her cervix. He held that position for a very long time making sure she took every last drop before finally pulling out.

Danny went completely slack, her world turned upside down forever. She had lost, completely and utterly lost. Vlad had gotten everything he wanted and she couldn't do a thing to save herself. Blue eyes stared ahead dull and unfocused, her limbs still tied tight.

Vlad rolled off of her, drowsiness setting in. He nuzzled her neck and petted her body in long soft strokes from her neck down to her belly. He wrapped an arm around her waist and snuggled next to her. But he couldn't sleep here. He kissed her cheek, tasting her tears again. No matter. She would learn to accept pleasure without feeling ashamed of it. Perhaps she would even come to trust him. Hopefully before she bore him his first child.

He sat up and began undoing her restraints. Once her limbs were free Danny wrapped them around herself, pulling up her legs and rolling onto her side. The mix of afterglow from her orgasm and the bitter realization of her seemingly inescapable fate intertwined into a pure hollow nothingness. Her mouth was dry as a desert, her throat raw from screaming. She managed a few hoarse words before the sobs raked her chest again. "I can't believe you..." she whispered. "Y-you're a monster."

Vlad got up and started getting dressed. "A monster would not have cared one iota about your pleasure," he said. "A monster would have merely strapped you down and taken what he wanted without a single thought toward your comfort. A monster would leave you bleeding and broken." He glared at her while he buttoned his shirt. "Do not insist upon casting me as your monster unless you truly wish me to be. Tomorrow morning you will join me for breakfast. Until such a time as I feel you have earned the right of choice I will decide what and when you will be eating. You will be woken up at 7 am sharp. I expect you to heed that call. Breakfast is at 8. If you can behave yourself that long I will be taking you on a tour of the castle and the grounds."

"You are home now, Daniella," he said. "However that does not mean you may simply run amok on a whim as you have always done. There are rules you will follow. Tomorrow we will go over those rules." Vlad grabbed his belt but didn't put it on. Instead he folded it over, holding it like an implement of correction. "Breaking the rules leads to certain punishments," he warned. "I have no problem punishing you for your transgressions. Believe me, my dear, I will not enjoy them. I will see you in the morning."

The hidden door clicked behind Vlad and once again Danny was alone. The minutes passed in silence before another sob filled the air and she hid her face in her hands. Her lower half felt slightly raw and she could still feel Vlad inside her when she held still for more than a few seconds. Even if she didn't end up pregnant after tonight Vlad was prepared to try again and again and she didn't doubt he would enjoy every second of it.

This had to be a dream it just had to. Just the thought of a lifetime in this castle was more then she could bear. Danny curled up onto her side, only pulling the blankets over herself with the chill began to bit her hard enough for it to be intolerable. Trapped in her thoughts, she stayed up until the early hours of the morning, eventually crying herself to sleep.


	2. Gilded Cage

Co-written between Tangerine Catnip and NebulousMistress

This story deals with some very harsh themes. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and graphic rape with the goal being forced pregnancy.

Allow me to repeat that. GRAPHIC RAPE! Heck, let's call a spade a spade. **VIOLENT** RAPE. Consider yourself warned.

* * *

The young girl's sleep was restless and fraught with images that left her curled up under the bedspread clutching a pillow. Like a marathon runner after a race, her body still felt the aftershocks of last night's ordeal. Phantom touches and pains kept her tossing and turning even after her mind closed itself off from the outside world.

When morning came, sunlight peeked around the curtains and lit the room with a soft glow. The still-naked form of the nineteen year old was twisted tightly in a cocoon of blankets. One foot hung off the bed at an odd angle as her chest rose and fell with the deep, easy breaths of sleep. She was so dead to the word that she missed the sound of her door unlocking, that she slept through her ghost sense. She didn't even feel his presence over her, watching as she snored softly.

A moment later Vlad threw the curtains open, flooding the room in the bright glow of the morning sun. The girl in the bed curled into herself tighter and groaned at the intrusion but didn't wake. Lazy girl, he thought, probably used to waking up at noon or some such nonsense. Vlad came over to the bed, grabbed the bedspread, and tore it off of her, phasing it out of her grip.

Vlad leered. This is why he didn't supply her with any sort of nightclothes. "Time to wake up, my dear," he called.

Vlad's voice was every bit as effective at waking Danny up as a bucket of cold water to the head. She squealed in surprise at the loss of her warm blanket. Blue eyes blinked up at Vlad before shooting open wide. The pillow in her arms was quickly pulled to her chest, her legs crossed tightly. She glared up at Vlad, noticed where he was looking, and quickly slammed the pillow into her lap and crossed a forearm over her breasts. Shock quickly dissolved into anger and Danny shifted onto her knees, keeping the pillow firmly in place. "Haven't you ever heard of a thing called 'privacy', fruitloop?" she demanded. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes with one hand, the other clamping down harder on her chest.

"I have," Vlad said. "And I might have granted you that if you woke up when I opened the curtains. But you're right, this is much more fun..." He let his eyes roam all over her, taking in every curve and plane of her body. Her legs were the easiest to see; she'd neglected to cover them. And she did have very nice legs, long and strong with just the barest curve at her hips. He remembered just how soft her skin was on her thighs...

Danny suffered his stares, the feeling of being dirty and used coming back vividly as her mind readjusted itself to the harshness of her reality. The sweat from last night had dried on her skin and the inside of her thighs felt sticky with last night's cum. She needed to wash, badly.

"It's seven AM, my dear," he said. "You have an hour to wake up, take a shower, get dressed... Of course if you need me to I'm sure I could join you in the shower."

"No... th-that won't be necessary," she stuttered, sliding back and away from Vlad. Her mind helpfully supplied her with fresh mental images of Vlad naked and leaning over her. She pressed the pillow harder into her lap, shifting back to the far edge of the bed. A few long moments passed as she waited for Vlad to leave but he didn't budge an inch. He just kept looking as her, mentally feeling up every part of her she didn't managed to cover with her arm or pillow. Danny huffed in frustration and tossed the pillow to the bed, quickly making the dash to the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her.

Vlad watched her flee. He enjoyed the view, sure, but it wasn't quite right. It wouldn't be right until she stopped running from him in a panic. She shouldn't be ashamed of him seeing her beautiful body naked. Ah, well, they likely had time before she started to properly bloom with pregnancy. By then he wanted her comfortable with the idea of him seeing her. Naked, clothed, soaking wet, any which way. She just needed time. Yes, that was it. Time to accept her new reality. Time to get used to her new life. Maybe today might help. After all, she needed to realize that there was more to the castle than just this room. Then maybe she might start to trust him.

* * *

Soaking wet, her skin raw and red from being scrubbed with near boiling water, Danny stepped onto the mat. She walked over to see her reflection in the mirror. She looked the same as she had the night before; everything but her eyes. Dark circles hung under them and they seemed... harder. Gone was the reflection of confidence and pride, replaced with something darker and perhaps more intense.

Idly she ran her fingers over her tummy, trying to picture it ballooning out and holding a whole human being. But try as she might she couldn't do it. She shook her head, staring back into her own eyes. She wished she had a plan, something coherent to hope for. Right now she was stuck between not thinking about it or falling into despair.

One day at a time. He was bound to slip up. He already had. This wasn't over, not by a long shot.

When she returned to her room Vlad was gone so she went to look in her wardrobe again. A light green sundress stood out and she picked it, sliding it over her head. Without a bra her nipples were visible through the fabric but Danny was getting sleepy again and didn't care enough to change it.

She wandered out into the hall. For a moment she thought about trying to sneak off but she knew now that there was no way out of the castle without going through the east door of the dining room.

She found Vlad sitting at the table. Breakfast was an ornate affair, for her at least. Vlad was content with two eggs, some toast, some sausage, and coffee. Daniella, on the other hand, was supplied with everything she might need to regain her strength from last night, to keep her going through the day, and a little bit left over to begin padding her otherwise bony angles. A stack of pancakes with maple syrup was placed on one end. A plate of eggs and toast in the middle next to a plate of bacon and little breakfast sausages. A blueberry muffin and a tall glass of orange juice rounded out her breakfast spread.

Vlad gestured for her to sit as he nibbled a piece of buttered toast and read a book. He'd rather have a newspaper with his coffee but she wasn't allowed such things. He couldn't chance her sneaking a section away while he was busy fuming at the Packer's scores.

"That dress suits you, my dear," he complimented.

"Considering you picked it out I'm not surprised you think so," Danny replied, smiling joylessly as she took her place at the table. She dropped her hands to her lap and looked over the food. Another day, the same problem. Would she take the things Vlad's offered or refuse them to make her point? Her fingers fidgeted. Hot sausage, crispy bacon, pancakes cooked to fluffy perfection looked up from her plate. Her tummy rumbled loudly, making Vlad look up from his food and raise an eyebrow at her.

…fuck it

Not ten minutes later the plate was clean and Danny was leaning back in her chair nibbling on the muffin. Sugar and calories soothed her frayed nerves. A temporary comfort but still it was something.

Vlad sighed; at least she had a healthy appetite. The prenatal vitamins were still sitting next to her nearly empty glass. He gave the barest of nods and a shade swooped out to refill her glass from a carafe. "I'm glad to see you eating something," he said. "I wonder if you just never ate anything before or if it was such poor quality that a few measly ghost hunts managed to keep you burning through your reserves." He finished his last bite of sausage and washed it down with the last of his coffee. His eyes drifted to those vitamins, wondering if she'd follow direction like a good girl. Or if he'd have to force her again.

Danny's shoulders straightened; she was even more touchy than usual with cracks about her family. "Yeah, well, Mom always said that being smart and beautiful was enough," she snapped. "If she added good cooking skills it wouldn't be fair to everyone else." She took another bite of her muffin and gave Vlad a pointed look. "Besides, only a rich freak could afford an army of five-star cooks in his basement." Oh, it felt good to be throwing insults again. It was the first normal thing to happen to her in what felt like forever. She reached for her glass, eyes falling to the pills. The evil chemical taste of them dissolving in her mouth came back to her and she shuddered. She scooped them up and swallowed them, putting her empty glass down with a thud.

As discrete as she thought she was being, Vlad was still watching her with a hawkish eye. He hid his triumph under a scoff, a response to her insults. "It doesn't take a five star chef to scramble an egg properly," he said. "Although they are quite good at it."

"It's not going to work though," Danny said, trying to keep the conversation going so he wouldn't comment on her obedience. "I've been trying to gain weight for years. If fast food 5 times a week doesn't work, I don't think there's much you can do."

"Your mother had quite a hard time putting on weight when she was younger as well," Vlad said. "She couldn't have filled out a jumpsuit if she had a full service buffet at her beck and call. She looks very different now, doesn't she?"

There was something in the comment about her mother but Danny couldn't quite place her finger on the innuendo. Maddie had made comments to her about needing to watch out for when her teenage metabolism started to fade but the way Vlad said it seemed like he was thinking of more than that. Danny shook her head, pushing the nagging idea away.

"If you are finished with breakfast then I suggest we begin the day," Vlad said. "The castle is your home now. It's only fitting that you know what that means, now and in the future."

Danny was feeling stronger in all senses of the word. She took to her feet and stood. "My home? Funny, I thought the word for a place you can never leave was 'prison'." She brushed a few crumbs from her skirt and leaned on her heels, hands crossing behind her back. She didn't really want to go on a tour but this would be a prime moment to find escape routes. Preferably ones that didn't involve leaping from towers.

"The world is a prison, my dear," Vlad said as he stood. "The ones who realize it are the most cursed of all men, condemned by their wisdom and knowledge." He offered his arm to her. He gave her a look that informed her that he fully expected her to take it like a good girl.

Danny stepped closer and closed her fingers around his arm, biting her tongue to keep herself from pulling away in revulsion. One hand held Vlad's upper arm, the other his wrist. She pressed her body into his, hugging his arm to her chest. Their height differences let her rest her head just below his shoulder. She tilted her head and let her hair fall over her eyes; it would be impossible for Vlad to see what she was looking at from this angle. She expected Vlad was more than happy to take any gesture of affection from her and he had yet to look this gift horse in the mouth. His false sense of security was one of the few tools she had left.

Vlad nearly purred as she pressed up against him. His mind told him this was all part of some trick. That she wouldn't have caved so quickly. No matter how total his victory she would not have given up hope of rescue or escape. This was a ploy. He had to remember that. His mind screamed these things at him. The rest of him ignored it. He led her out of the dining room into a grand hall. The room opened up all around them, rising several floors above them to the buttressed ceiling. Balconies along the edge overlooked the floor where they stood. Doors all around opened to hallways and rooms on all three levels of the room. Before them a grand staircase stretched up to the highest level.

"Before I show you the castle, there are some rules that I need to impress upon you," he said. "First and foremost, you are to follow my orders. You will do as I tell you, my dear. It's almost always for the best. You are only allowed into those parts of the castle that I allow. This rule will be enforced through locked doors and ghost shields. It's not just that I don't trust you but also that some of those doors hold things that you might find unpleasant, dangerous, or deadly."

Danny swallowed, her grip on Vlad tightening. So she wasn't getting free run of the castle. Honestly she was surprised Vlad was letting her out of her cell to begin with. This was more proof that Vlad wanted her for more than just her reproductive organs, although she wasn't sure if that was better or not. She scanned the very impressive room as she was led down the steps to the dance floor, a whole lot of space for a whole lot of nobody. "Deadly," she repeated, scanning for windows that looked like they could be smashed in and crawled though. "Don't tell me you have a room full of alligators, Plasmius."

"I favor crocodiles," Vlad said, not missing a beat. "And of course snakes. Poisonous snakes are so bright and colorful..."

"You will refrain from attempting to escape," he said, going back to the rules. "Not only would it be quite difficult but you would make me very angry. The same goes for trying to kill me. I'd very much like to avoid little fiascoes like last night. You will notice the lack of televisions or computers. You are not allowed any sort of current media, not without my approval of such media. And perhaps most important. You will actively participate in preparing for the arrival of our offspring. This means continuing to take your medicine as you did this morning. This also means I will ask your opinions when decorating the nursery, when determining what toys our child will have, and of course on parenting. I haven't done this either, my dear, and I value your input. I want you to be as involved in this as I am, Daniella."

Danny stamped her foot and let go of Vlad before she accidentally broke the "not killing him" rule. Their offspring! She wasn't even pregnant yet and he was already picking out colors for the crib. She wasn't allowed to watch movies but he still valued her opinion when it came to his goals. "Stupid fruitloop," she growled. She didn't realize the words had come from her lips until she heard them with her own ears. However, once she started she didn't see reason to stop. "You don't kidnap a woman to be your sex slave then ask her about what baby names she would prefer! You lost your chance at marital bliss when you decided to kidnap the one woman on the planet who knows what a twisted freak you are!" She backed away, ready to flee if she needed to. Ghost shields wouldn't stop her on foot even though she knew she couldn't escape.

Vlad lunged at her, gripping her around the arms before she could take off running. He was disappointed but not surprised. More annoyed than angry. "And one last thing," he snapped. "You will stop acting like a hysterical child. It does not become you, my dear." She struggled in his grip but he held her there, waiting until she exhausted herself. He wasn't even taking her fury seriously, looking almost bored as she spat and snarled.

Danny was so sick of being bossed around, of being manhandled. Her eyes flashed vibrant green. She still didn't trust her transformation after how it had failed her last night, but she could still access enough of her power to remind Vlad that she wasn't a woman he could control. She tugged one of her arms from his grip and raised the hand for an ectoblast right to his smug face.

A flash of pink against the green. Immense pain filled her senses, spreading up her arm then into her chest and her other limbs. This wasn't the first time Vlad had shocked her like this so she knew what it was but she was still helpless to stop it. Her head grew fuzzy with the pain and she felt herself passing out, her knees buckling underneath her and the floor rushing up from a pool of darkness. A dull thump and the pain stopped, leaving her dazed on the marble floor, her whole body weak and sluggish from the sudden stress.

Vlad stood over her. Truth be told he'd wondered how long it would have taken her to remember what she was. Although maybe he was a little harsh on her. And then she flipped him off as she lay on the floor. No, no, he'd been exactly harsh enough. She needed to learn. "Breaking any of these rules will result in you being punished," he said. "I will endeavor to keep the punishments in line with the transgression. But if you insist upon resisting me and breaking my rules I will not hesitate to up the response." He waited patiently for her to regain her senses and her feet. After all, he had all the time in the world.

Danny lay on the cool floor for a while longer, the coolness on her skin helped sooth her anger and there wasn't much point to being up anyway. Danny wondered if he pictured her like a dog, to be trained with punishment and reward. Fine then, if she was a dog then she might as well prove to be the kind that rips up the furniture and chews the slippers to bits. She pushed herself up into a sitting position. She stumbled as she got to her feet and ended up taking Vlad's arm again, much to her dismay. She attempted to make it look intentional, like the last few moments weren't even worth mentioning. "Any more rules I should know?" she asked bitterly.

"Those are the big ones," Vlad said. "Shall we continue the tour?" He knew he had to project an air of not caring about her outbursts. It was an easy air to project. He honestly did not care about her temper tantrums. He viewed them as the last vestiges of an old life refusing to give up and give in. If he acknowledged them they'd see an excuse to grow, to repeat, too maintain, for her to keep up this resistance. "Keep in mind everything you see today is not going to be immediately accessible to you," he explained. "Once I have shown you everything you will be confined to the second floor. That's the floor with your bedroom and the dining room, in case you didn't figure that out. As you prove yourself more trustworthy and as you show yourself to be more willing I will open up more of the castle to you as well as its gardens and grounds."

They exited though an arched entryway and into a hallway, crossing it to a much smaller door that lead to a plush room with high ceilings and a huge fireplace. Tall windows let in light muted by deep red curtains with golden tassels. Antique furniture crowded the floor space and wood framed paintings fought for a place on the wall. A large mirror above the fireplace reflected the image of Danny holding Vlad's arm.

Danny turned from the mirror in revulsion. "And how exactly do I earn this trust?" she asked, running her free hand over the plush velvet of a chaise lounge. "No wait, let me guess, by hitching up my skirt and moaning your name?"

"Of course not," he said. "If I wanted you to act like a whore I would have said so. You may earn my trust by earning it. By following orders without complaint and without grumbling. By not having to be told to do the most basic of things. By not snapping at me and running at every opportunity. In short, my dear, you earn my trust by being genuinely trustworthy."

Danny nodded slowly. That was predictable enough; rewards in exchange for becoming more like the obedient girl he wanted her to be. Fat chance of that happening.

He led her through the sitting room into an adjoining library. This library he knew to be mostly for show, to showcase his wealth on those rare occasions he entertained someone of similar social station. Uninteresting old books on economics, science, and finance lined the walls. Danny only got a brief image of the library before she was pulled away but it strongly reminded her of the library from _Beauty and the Beast_.

From there he led her into a billiards room. The table's green velvet was quite soft as this was not a room he indulged himself in often. The room had a distinctly masculine feel to it, a place of men to retire to play games while the woman sat and gossiped. Danny wasn't impressed; she had never really liked any game that didn't require a video game controller. A rack of billiard balls sat in the center of the table covered in a fine layer of dust. Danny reached for the 8 ball and picked it up, testing it out in her hands. This would make a good projectile.

An itch at the back of his mind kept Vlad's attention focused on Danny while she hefted the 8-ball in her hand. He calmly sauntered over to the rack of cues and quietly lifted one off the wall.

He heard her throw the billiard ball before it even left her hand. He swung the cue around. Wood shattered as the cue contacted the ball in midair. Shards flew, clattering against the table as the 8-ball was knocked away to crack against the stone floor. Vlad turned red eyes on his wayward little girl. He descended on her like a vulture.

She had a moment to realize that maybe that had been an awful idea before both her arms were grabbed and twisted behind her back. The cool sting of ectoplasmic cuffs wrapped around her arms and bound them together. Her hair was yanked violently back and she was shoved forward, landing chest first on the billiard table. She gasped and struggled for breath as her air was knocked from her lungs, hindered by the hand pressing on her neck and keeping her head shoved against the green felt. Fingers curled around her neck and Danny swallowed nervously. She kicked her feet but Vlad was standing right behind her and it was imposable to angle for proper hit. Danny tried to pull away but her feet were too far from the floor and her arms were useless.

Vlad growled. His lips went right next to her ear, teeth bared in a quiet snarl. "That was a bad idea, my dear," he purred. "And after I just told you that attempted murder is not something I will tolerate." He ran a hand up her thigh, sliding it under her dress. That hand went up to cup her rounded ass. "I don't want to have to use sex as a method of punishment, my dear. I'm not a monster and I do not appreciate being cast as one by your small, sightless mind. But I will become one if you push me hard enough."

And then he stepped back. The cuffs dissolved. He let her go.

Danny went slack against the table, her legs kicking out a few more times before she managed to push herself back to the floor, settling rather shakily on her feet again. This was an interesting dance they were performing, a thin layer of civility broken by their mutual distrust and her utter resentment and hatred of him. Vlad might as well be covering the past five years of fighting and bad blood with a carpet for all the good it did.

She fixed her skirt, trying to forget about the soft touch that Vlad used to threaten her. She ran her fingers through her hair and fixed Vlad with a look. "You can think whatever you want, Vlad, but I see a lot more than you would like me to."

"I think not, my dear," Vlad said. "You cast me as your monster because you have never had the misfortune of seeing one. You consider my actions to be the depths of depravity because you have never stared down that well to see how far it goes. You consider your current fate the worst you can experience because you have never yet known pain, fear, hunger, or cold. You are a spoiled little brat throwing a temper tantrum because your life is not the idyllic little paradise you always thought it should be. Now shall we continue? Or do you wish to keep standing there with your fingers in your ears spouting gibberish to the winds?"

Danny felt her chest heat up in anger, the tips of her hair standing on end from the anger-fueled ectoenergy swirling in her bloodstream. She tightened the lid on her emotions for now, saving that anger for later when it could be useful again. She extended a hand wordlessly and let Vlad take it, knowing he wouldn't move on unless she was in his grip.

Out into the main hall, Vlad held her tight. The front door loomed to her left and she couldn't help but notice the glowing deadbolts. Something told her that if she attempted to destroy them she was the one who would end up worse off. They walked the long way around the kitchen and through a heavy glass door. The air temperature jumped, growing tropical and humid and suddenly Danny found herself in a leafy rainforest, albeit one with fancy flooring, comfortable looking chairs, and a tasteful fountain. Looking up, the sky was crossed with triangles of glass and Danny realized she must be in a greenhouse. She glanced around and couldn't help a soft gasp at the colorful flowers and the huge leaves that hung from monstrous ferns.

"There are multiple greenhouses back here," Vlad said as he led her along a cobblestone path. "Each one is built to keep a different climate. These greenhouses also host their own animal life." As if to punctuate his point a parrot squawked from the trees. Answering squawks sounded from all around them as the flock of tiny green parrots talked among themselves about the new arrivals.

Danny saw a tree bearing large overhanging orange fruit and picked one of them. Vlad tensed and she made a big show of wiping the mango on her dress and taking a bite of it. Even she wasn't silly enough to try and throw fruit at him. Juice ran down her chin and she licked her lips. Vlad smiled a bit; she shared the same manners as the parrots did.

"This greenhouse keeps a rainforest climate," he added. "There's another that keeps a desert climate and a third that keeps a Mediterranean climate. They all get quite warm during midday, especially summer. Once you've, ah, settled in perhaps you might enjoy having fresh flowers in your room every morning."

Danny watched the birds overhead carefully, many of which she had only even seen on TV or in books. The bright sunlight felt good on her skin after the confinement of the castle and the air here had the most relaxing smell. She had to admit this was a place she wouldn't mind coming. If only it didn't come with the expectation of her accepting this prison as her home. "You know for all your complaining about me being a brat you sure seem keen to spoil me rotten if I obey you," Danny observed, taking another bite of her fruit.

"And why shouldn't I?" Vlad asked. "After all, I prefer to take good care of my belongings."

His attention was turned away towards a scratchy voice calling "hello" and then the flutter of large wings as a colorful Scarlet Macaw flew out of the canopy to land on a nearby branch. The bird looked curiously at Danny, shifting from foot to foot. "Hello," the bird said again.

"He wants some of your mango, my dear," Vlad said. "And he's wondering who you are."

Danny smiled sheepishly. "Er… hello?" she said. Vlad's fingers loosened around her arm, allowing her to approach the feathery creature. "Um, my name is Daniella but um you can call me Danny." She felt rather awkward trying to talk to a bird, but then it had spoken first. "What's yours?"

The bird made a happy sounding squawk and tilted its head looking at her hand.

"Ohh you want this don't you…" She stepped forward and held it out, almost jumping back in surprise at the bird sunk his beak into it. The parrot grabbed her mango with his beak, stealing the whole thing from her. He wrapped his foot around it and held it there while he messily tore his beak into the tender fruit. She couldn't help a giggle at the odd way it ate. "Oh you're a sweetie, how did Vlad ever come to own a pretty little thing like you?"

"Pet stores, mostly," Vlad said. "There's a flock of little green parrotlets, two macaws, a cockatoo, and, well, at last count there were a couple dozen budgies but I believe one was nesting at the time. I expect there are some frogs in here but it's always too loud to tell during the day. There are tortoises and quail in the desert greenhouse," he continued. "and some finches, hummingbirds, and several butterfly colonies in the Mediterranean greenhouse. There's a bee hive on the grounds outside as well."

"Hum, this place isn't as deserted as it looks I suppose," Danny mused. She patted the bird on its head. Silently she decided it would be best if they moved on now. However, she did note that there was plenty of space to fly over the trees in the greenhouse. She had never flown with birds before; usually the pigeons in Amity Park just ran away. Danny shook her head. No, she couldn't get attached. She wasn't staying. This was all just a display in the vain hope that she would stop resisting Vlad. He would show her all the marvels of the underworld to convince her to stay.

Back in the castle they were soon on the same floor as Danny's room again, waking through the final rooms that Vlad cared to show her. A large bathroom with a huge tub, a drawing room with fluffy sofas and chairs… then a room that was not so usual.

"This looks like the nurse's office at school," Danny observed, looking from the cabinets of bandages and pills to the examination table. She tensed with wary confusion.

"This is the infirmary," Vlad said. "Once we are successful I'll be tracking your pregnancy here through biweekly checkups. Weight, body composition, organ function, fetal growth. I want to make sure the two of you stay quite healthy throughout the entire process and beyond." Vlad could feel the tension in the room change. First denial, now anger. He wondered when 'bargaining' would begin.

"Of course," Danny spat. The calm contentment from her brush with those lovely birds evaporated like smoke. "I don't know what I was expecting. Got to keep a close eye on the cattle, hmm? Can't take any chances with your prize bitch." Danny pictured herself lying on the table being poked and prodded by Vlad while he checked off his little boxes, making sure she would be able to bring him as many children as possible before she was used up and he had to toss her aside.

She nearly screamed in frustration. Her teeth clenched and she slammed her foot against the floor so hard she hurt herself. She turned her back and fled the room. She crossed the hall and found a door ajar.

Vlad had told her what it was on the way here. The future sight of the nursery. She glared at the door her fingers alighting in green flames. The nursery was not entirely vacant. The wood paneling over the stone walls was unfinished across one stone wall. Swatches of wallpaper and stencils were hung on one wall as though the designer had not yet decided. Concept drawings were posted showing ideas involving light pastels and cute details. But the worst part of it was hiding under a throw cloth. The ancestral family crib.

Vlad followed her calmly. By the time he found her she was already standing in the center of the room, the throw cloth at her feet. To her the crib was only another symbol of the forced bondage Vlad wanted to bind her into. How he wanted to use and control her. Her hand was raised, ecto-energy and rage making her fingers glow bright green. Still, some part of her must have sensed that maybe this was a very bad idea… then Vlad entered the room. He saw what she was doing, how her hand was poised. He looked scared, eyes wide as he realized what she was about to do. In that moment Danny hated him, she hatred him more than anything else in the world. She wanted to hurt him, hurt him like he hurt her.

The wood burned and splintered as she shattered it, deceptive woodcarvings of bears on the banister snapping in half as splitters flew. A violent crack filled the room along with the smell of singed wood.

For a split second Vlad was devastated and Daniella was proud. Five seconds later that all came crashing down as a livid force unlike anything she had ever experienced came to rip her to shreds. Vlad slammed her against the wall hard enough to give a mere human a concussion. His eyes glowed red. He could barely speak, not trusting himself to open his own mouth past the baring of fangs. An uncontrollable fire ripped through him, attempting to burn through every shred of decency within him.

He let it.

A quiet snarl rose in his throat, forming some semblance of words. "I have done everything for you, child," he growled. "Given you comfort, pleasure, warmth, companionship, the chance at a future. And you... You wanted a monster. Very well then. You shall have your monster..." Vlad's anger was quiet, burning hot under the surface as his words were soft. And yet his hands tore at her, ripping away her dress. Her screams were a beautiful music as he slammed her against the wall to disorient her while he turned her around. He grabbed the waist of his own pants and tore, popping the buttons in his haste to unleash his fury-hardened cock.

She was dry as he slammed into her from behind. He let the transformation take him.

Danny had never known that underneath those black gloves Plasmius really did have claws. One hand slammed into the wall next to her head, his claws digging furrows into the hard stone. And then those claws met her back.

Her body was in so much pain that Danny couldn't tell where it hurt anymore. Her own ghost powers pulsed through her body but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't force him off. She was stronger than any human but it wasn't enough to stop this. Vlad's claws dug into tender skin, never staying still when they could slice into her. But by far the worst pain came from between her legs as Vlad took her viciously and without a shred of remorse. Her unprepared insides burned in as much agony as the rest of her body.

She lashed out with her fists but she was helpless with her back turned. Vlad retaliated by slamming his fist into the back of her head. Danny screamed as his claws raked across her back again and again.

Vlad snorted and snarled like an animal as he rutted into her. Her flesh slammed into the wall with faint sounds that made him purr, a quiet little counterpoint to the dulcet tones of her agony. He wanted her to hurt. He wanted her to hurt for as long as possible. Whenever she gathered power to attempt as escape, a retaliation, anything, he cuffed her in the back of her head. All sense of humanity was lost as he snarled his glee, his triumph, his ownership of her to whatever demons watched over creatures such as themselves. And then he bit. His fangs dug deep into her shoulder, holding her in place while he rutted. Each breath came as a snarl that slowly drove those fangs deeper into her flesh like a lion's death-bite.

Her cries changed in tone, morphing into something more... animalistic. More... tragic. He purred. She might learn to accept her place after all.

Danny heard it too, her sharp cries melted into long pathetic sounds broken by sobs as she started to cry, unable to hold back with the miasma of pain taking over her mind. Blood dripped from her open wounds, soaked into Vlad's gloves and scattered in drops over the floor. Warm liquid trailed down her inner thigh, the bright red blood standing out against her pale skin. Danny tried to brace herself against the wall to diminish her agony. She had given up on escaping.

Vlad's fangs sunk into her shoulder again, deeper into muscle and the agony almost made her black out. However she was not that lucky. Danny's hips ached, her unwilling body trying to make sense of the abuse. The spots that had brought her pleasure a day before felt raw as every one of Vlad's thrusts hurt more than the last.

Vlad pulled his fangs out of her shoulder and licked the wound, tasting her blood. He gripped her hips, his claws digging into tender flesh. And then he began to pound into her anew. He dragged his own orgasm out of himself although he did not feel true pleasure. Satisfaction, yes. Triumph, yes. But not real pleasure. Not even as he arched back and shrieked, his howls echoing throughout the castle. His seed spilled into her, hot and burning as he howled like the damned, echoed by the faintest of cries from the girl in his arms.

Danny couldn't tell his cum from the blood between her thighs but she knew it was over. Her chest heaved and her knees were weak. The dull hardness of the floor was bliss after the never-ending agony. Her eyes were open but she saw nothing, staring blankly. Her sanity retreated into the back of her head to save itself and at the moment only shattered bits of awareness remained. Power swelled inside her, ectoplasm seeding her blood as it closed cuts and repaired muscles. The physical trauma would fade quickly but the memories would take much longer to heal.

She curled tightly into a ball and cried, not caring that she was lying naked on bare stone, streaked with her own blood.

Vlad changed back. He fell to his knees in front of her as she curled in on herself. Slowly his own sanity began to return, the monster within being cocooned within threads of civilization. He stared blankly at the rends in her flesh, watching them heal themselves. At least there was that. He stood up and attempted to fix his clothing. His pants were a lost cause. He bent down and grabbed her arms, lifting her into a bridal carry. He carried her back to her room and dropped her on the bed.

"You wanted a monster," he said. "That was a monster. Never drive me to that again." He turned and left, slamming the door and locking her inside.

Vlad slid down against the wall. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't, not really. She drove him to becoming... that. If she didn't provoke him then that wouldn't happen again.

In the room beyond some shred of mercy had allowed unconsciousness to take the young woman.

* * *

When she awoke five hours later only flashes of the event remained. But her fire, her courage, her drive had deserted her and the figure that picked lazily at her dinner ten hours later almost seemed like a different person. Her eyes were red from crying but she had no tears at the moment. She looked the ghost she partially was.

Vlad knew something had died in the creature that sat before him at the dinner table. To be honest he had expected that. Had she been the fragile human she liked to pretend to be he had no doubt she would not have survived that morning.

The first step in making something anew was to break it. And she was pretty well broken. Vlad made a show of forcing himself to eat. He had to put forward a facade of uncaring. He had to pretend that this morning hadn't affected him. The deplorable acts, the loss of a sentimental antique, the loss of any vestige of civilization for one long eternity... Don't think about it. Civilization was a human thing, something that was expected but not even followed by the humans who valued it. Still the soup tasted like acid. The chicken like ash. The wine like nothing.

Her plate was still full of food and glass untouched when Vlad took her arm and led her back to her room. Plans would not change; they had been set in stone to prevent that. Somewhere in her mind Danny realized Vlad had finally gotten her to walk to bed with him. She wondered if the victory was satisfying.

He removed her dress without ripping it. It felt odd to think she might wear it again after her first and second favorites had met such total and complete ends. She was thankful he tied her up again so she wouldn't have to decide what to do with her hands.

Sex was mechanical, something he took little pleasure in. It was a task to be completed. The previous night he had delighted in her cries of pleasure and consoled himself with the knowledge that her tears were only a temporary thing. Now there would be no screams of pleasure. And likely no tears. No nothing. He expected she would lie back and think of England. Vlad undressed and lay on the bed next to her shackled form. He reached down and rubbed her clit to excite her body, to get her wet before entering her.

Danny was getting used to the feeling of sex. In just her first three times she knew how it could melt her with pleasure, hurt her to her core or be completely ignored. Nothing but the increased pace of her breathing belied what was happening to her.

Orgasm took much longer to reach, satisfied much less than before. Vlad told himself it was because his sperm were used, that he needed time to recharge. That was probably true. But he also mourned for what happened earlier that day. He never wanted her to see him like that. Why did she have to provoke him? Why? It had never occurred to him that while he was a monster hidden under a veneer that she might be the same way. He held her to keep that veneer on, to keep it from cracking and peeling right off of her. He was her monster now. But he knew that one day she might become his.

Danny tried to delude herself for a few moments by thinking he held her because he was sorry for what he had done to her. It almost worked.

He kissed her on the fading bite mark torn into her shoulder. He kissed her on her left breast, just over her heart. He kissed her on her belly, hoping that for once something might go right while the two of them were involved. He unshackled her and got dressed, leaving without a word.

No words were needed.

* * *

Vlad's fear that she would remain a hollow husk never came to pass. Danny started reading in her long days alone. Vlad was sure to give her plenty of space and the books kept her from having to think. Two nights later at dinner she broke the silence with a torrent of questions about a book of fairy tales she had found in her room. Apparently they were much more gruesome than she remembered and she wanted to know if this Grimm guy was just some masochistic author or what.

Vlad had enjoyed explaining the origins to the stories that the young girl had seen in movies and she seemed actually interested. There was even the occasional sarcastic remark bandied about here and there. The next night it was _Black Beauty_, the next it was _The Wizard of Oz_, then _Treasure Island_... Had Danny's English teacher known he would have been proud.

Sometimes Danny would stare into nothingness. Vlad tried not to disturb her when she did. He felt it was better if she worked whatever it was out on her own.

She still needed to be tied down for sex, but tears grew rare. She participated more, moaning and rocking into him. One time she even came from him penetrating her. She shuddered around his cock and pulled him in with her legs, her needy voice forcing out the syllables of his name with all the beauty and clarity of morning bells.

Two weeks after her capture Vlad decided it was time for a reward. He instructed his servants to get the ballroom ready and picked out a few of his favorite waltzes.


	3. Le Danse Macabre

Co-written between Tangerine Catnip and NebulousMistress

This story deals with some very harsh themes. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and graphic rape with the goal being forced pregnancy. However, this chapter is rape-free.

* * *

Daniella had been cooped up in her room for far too long. Sure, Vlad had been the one to instigate it, but she was confined to the floor not the room. It was time to drag her out of that room and show her that she could enjoy herself elsewhere in the castle. The fact that she'd been a good girl, very well behaved, very resilient, very, ah, willing...

Well, that was just an excuse.

He was going to teach her to dance. A first lesson, at least. The waltz always made for a good first lesson. It was fairly easy, it had multiple variations, it had such a wonderfully sordid history, and it was genuinely fun. He had a dress specially made for her and sent up for her to wear. She was allowed shoes, dancing shoes with stockings and even some appropriate underwear. After weeks of nothing underneath her dresses he imagined it might take some time to get used to. Still, he found himself in a matching suit standing outside her room. He debated whether to go in early, to surprise her while she was still in the midst of her preparations. He was curious how she would look in panties and stockings with a cincher tightening her waist and lifting her breasts up...

Screw it. He didn't care that he was early. He let himself inside.

Danny practically jumped when he walked in the room. Her hand pulled away from the handle of her hairbrush, however the hairbrush stayed firmly lodged in her wet hair. She pulled up to tug at it but bit didn't budge. She took a step back and covered her bare chest. Her stockings and panties were on but the odd half-corset thing Vlad had given her in place of a bra was lying on the floor. The dress was slung over the bed, blue ruffles and ribbon making it look more like a tent than a garment. It was undone at the back but no further progress had been made. Danny sighed in expiration and bowed her head, almost knocking herself with the brush. "H-hi Vlad," she said softly, not making eye contact. "I'm, ah, not having much luck at the moment." She stepped backwards and sat on the bed, looking at the floor.

"I can see that," Vlad said. He came up in front of her and slid his hands over her shoulders, just holding them. Her skin was soft, warm, she'd been in the shower. "I'm early, my dear." He fished around for some excuse, found it on the bed right in front of him. He tucked a hand under her chin and drew her up to look in his eyes. "I was wondering if you needed any help in getting ready. After all, a dancing dress is not something easily slipped on or off."

Danny flinched under his touch, but only a little. She had gotten better at repressing her reflexes, getting used to his hands on her body. A week ago Danny would have considered this a turn for the worst but she was coming to understand its value in helping her avoid punishment. "That's one way of putting it," she snorted. "I'm pretty sure NASA has spacesuits that are less confusing to put on." Conversations with Vlad were getting easier, too, but then it would be hard not to when he was the only other living thing she had seen in a week. "Whoever decided fancy dresses need to be done up in the back should be shot."

"Whoever designed fancy dresses tended to assume their wearers would have servants," Vlad replied. "You're meant to be dressed into one, not to put it on and be done with it. No matter. First and foremost you need to get your hair combed. Rather it appears it's, ah, eating the comb." Her predicament amused him. He didn't laugh but he didn't suppress his amusement, preferring to let it show through a bemused smile. An indulgent smile. He ran a thumb over her cheek as he came to a decision. "Go and fetch a towel, my dear. We'll get you ready for today's lesson well enough."

Danny didn't really like the sound of that request but she complied anyway; dislike it or not she did need the help. She had neglected her hair for weeks what with all the excitement of being kidnapped and forced into sex every other day. She washed it often enough but the act of brushing seemed like too much effort. There wasn't anyone she wanted to look nice for in the castle. But over the weeks it had gone from unruly pussy cat to enraged Bengal tiger. Her hair's natural fuzziness and unexpected cowlicks didn't help one bit.

She returned with one of the fluffy towels and Vlad draped it over her shoulders, running his fingers over her hair to see what he would be dealing with. "You haven't brushed it at all since you've been here," Vlad observed. He disentangled the brush from the matted mess and instead started using his fingers to separate everything into something a little more manageable. "You should brush it at least every day, my dear," he said. "Not for my sake, although you will look much more pleasing well-groomed. But for yours. Brushing long hair is a very relaxing activity." He seemed to realize something from her blank stare in the mirror across from the bed. "Wait, has no one ever done this for you before?" he asked. "You don't know what you're missing..."

Danny tried to hold as still as she could, raising an eyebrow at the comment. So far this only felt slightly awkward and painful. His fingers tugged on her hair and reminded her of just what a huge mess it all was. "You would know, your hair is longer than mine," Danny murmured. She winced as Vlad's fingers caught on a well tangled knot. She pursed her lips and stayed silent, not wanting to show Vlad even a glimmer of pain.

After a few minutes most of the matting had been separated into tangles and Vlad led her to the bed, sitting behind her and slowly working at the ends with the brush, working out the tangles from the bottom up. Vlad held locks of hair as he brushed them so as not to pull on her hair more than he needed to. As he worked the tangles gave in, one by one falling into thick, luxurious hair. Vlad kept brushing, moving from lock to lock as slowly her hair morphed from a wild mess befitting of Tarzan's mate into something more civilized. As her hair relaxed Vlad's strokes became longer, more relaxed as well.

She wasn't immediately getting up. She was letting him do this for her. On some level she trusted him. He was going to enjoy that. And he was going to show her that it didn't have to be a horrible thing. He pressed the brush in her tamed hair just enough to tickle the skin and slid it through in a way he always found pleasing. His fingers found their way to her hair as well, smoothing her hair as the brush disturbed it, stroking down her back.

Danny's shoulder slumped, her head tilting at a slightly odd angle. The rhythmic strokes were long a smooth. Her shoulders and scalp tingled every time the brush passed over them. Over and over again Vlad stoked her and slowly the tingling turned into a warm feeling that didn't fade. Danny sighed softly. She was used to being handled roughly; gentle and relaxing was something new. She made another sound, this one to indicate to Vlad she was enjoying it. A silent code to tell him that she didn't want him to stop.

Bit by bit her hair came free until Vlad had her whole head to brush from root to tip. Danny's hands folded in her lap, fingers intertwined as she hoped it wouldn't end while trying not to think about it. Thinking about pleasure at Vlad's hands tended to lead to memories of pain.

Vlad hummed softly in response, he was enjoying her trust and from her sounds he could tell she was enjoying trusting him. It had been weeks since he really made the effort to bring her pleasure. Weeks since she threw away that right. But by trusting him... Maybe she was earning it back. He could certainly please her now. All he needed was a hairbrush. He used the tines of the brush to gently massage her scalp, to touch all those places in her hair that she didn't know needed to be touched. Meanwhile he indulged himself in something he'd not allowed himself in so long. He leaned forward.

She smelled wonderful. He wanted to just get lost in her scent. And there was something about it, something that nudged him in the back of his mind. He ignored it, had no context to attribute it to. Perhaps it was just her natural perfume, the smell of clean skin and brushed hair, the scent of trust and subtle pleasure. Whatever it was he wanted to make her smell like this more often.

Danny could feel him over her, smelling her, but the soft touches from the brush let her forget about it for now. She knew the circular motions of the brush weren't for her hair's benefit. Vlad was trying to pamper her again. She didn't know what exactly to make of that but she had long since realized she couldn't predict Vlad's thoughts as well as she thought she could. Vlad nuzzled the back of her neck, still brushing her hair. He seemed to be enjoying himself but Danny didn't have a clue why. He just pressed close to her quietly, smelling her, doing fruitloop things. No reason to spoil his fun and get slapped. Not just yet.

After a few more moments she pulled away. "I think my hair is done," she said. "It's getting kind of cold."

Vlad realized he was close to purring by the time she spoke. He pulled back from her, drawing the brush through once more. "Of course," he said. He nuzzled her head once before getting up and pulling the hairball out of the brush. He glanced back at her and his breath caught in his throat. She needed to groom herself more often. "You are beautiful," he said. "I do hope you believe me when I tell you that. It's very true."

Danny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear looking away, "I'm the only woman who can give you want you want," she said quietly. "It doesn't matter anyway." The half ghost girl turned her back on the elder with a sigh. She knew that Vlad didn't love her. He only loved the idea of his own kind. Besides, even if he did love her she wouldn't have wanted it and it didn't justify what he had done.

"Wrap the cincher around your waist and I'll do up the back for you," he said, gesturing to the garment in question.

She found the lacy object and silently hoped she could breathe with it in place. She pressed it to her chest. fitting it as best she could around her chest. She held it in place and turned her back for Vlad's help. "Why did you even give me these things if I couldn't put them on myself?" she asked.

Vlad didn't answer her. Honestly, he didn't have an answer aside from some silly thing about how they were pretty. He laced the cincher behind her, pulling it just tight enough to flatter her figure. He then brought her to the floor-length mirror. Stockings adorned her feet, encasing her legs to the thighs. Round though small hips were accentuated by the cincher that tightened her waist and lifted her breasts just enough to be reminded that they were there. He ran his hand along her figure from her shoulder down to her hip, his touch staying platonic. "Look at yourself, my dear, and try to tell me you aren't beautiful."

Her hair fell in thick waves, framing her face. Her skin was smooth, the barest of scars still marring her shoulder from those dreadful events a couple of weeks past. She was pale and thin, although perhaps not as thin as she had been when she first came here. Was it only two weeks ago? It felt so long ago. A lifetime.

"Vlad..." Danny breathed, looking away. She refused to look at herself in the mirror. Where Vlad saw beauty she could only see failure. Groomed and made up and stuffed into the clothes he chose for her; she looked like a stuffed turkey. She would never have dressed herself like this. She looked like a princess getting ready for a ball, only the man looming over her was not her prince charming. The more she looked, the more her heart sank. The girl she saw looking back at her was bruised, cut and beaten, obeying Vlad out of fear. "Please, Vlad." She tugged on him, wanting to be let go. "You're embarrassing me." Lies. Anything so she didn't have to keep looking at what she saw.

Vlad stroked her hair and let her look away, trying not to show his disappointment. Eventually she would see what he saw when he looked at her. A beautiful, strong woman full of potential. The mother of their future children. And he hoped that eventually she would come to see him as their father.

He picked up the dress and shook it out, settling all the ruffles correctly with a flick of his wrists. He then dropped it on the ground. "Step in then and we'll get you all dressed for tonight," he said.

Glad that the moment had passed, Danny stepped inside the pile of fabric and allowed Vlad to pull it up over her shoulders. The whole thing was a lot heavier than it looked and it took a few moments for Danny to adjust to how she had to move in it. The skirt was puffed up by layers and layers of tulle and cloth, accentuating her hips and throwing her off balance so she had to take every step with care and grace. The dress was cut low at her chest so her lifted breasts could be shown off.

Bit by bit Vlad made sure to smooth the lines of the dress as he went. Without a full corset it was harder to fit her into the dress properly. Still, with some work he was able to get her into the bodice. Vlad was taking his sweet time making sure everything looked perfect, tying the laces, making the bows as even as possible. Danny shifted from foot to foot impatiently, taking deep breaths so she knew she still had space to breathe. She braced herself against the bedpost and tried to hold still.

Finally he tied off the strings. He waited for her to get used to the constricting design before wrapping his hands around her waist and helping her stand up. She didn't need the help but he liked holding her this way. He turned her to the mirror and waited for her to see herself. He knew by now that she wouldn't see what he saw. But he still liked looking.

Vlad held both her wrists aloft as he made her look into the mirror. She ran her eyes over the miles of fluffy blue material, the fabric bright and soft and decorated with all manners of frills and ruffles. She stepped away from Vlad and did a little spin to test how far the skirt would balloon out.

She gave a very slight smile as she took both ends of the shirt into her hands and curtsied as she'd seen in movies growing up. She faltered, her balance wrong, but the skirt hid her falter. For a few moments she was five years old again, playing dress up and bowing to imaginary guests. Then the smile faded and she was back in the present with Vlad's hand on her shoulder. At least he wasn't leering at her.

Vlad stood quiet, not wanting to interrupt her moment. She was beautiful. He almost purred as he thought of how she would look later on, heavy with child. She wouldn't be able to wear a dress like this then, no, she'd need something more befitting of her condition. But like this, still untouched by pregnancy, she was still beautiful. Even more so with this. He wrapped a belt of jewels around her waist, tiny silver links holding tiny diamonds that just caught the light. Tonight she would sparkle. With her childhood he doubted she'd ever had the chance to really sparkle like this. He would give her this. And so much more.

Danny slid her fingers over the gems. Rewards for obedience; he would use the things he could buy to win the things he couldn't then take the rest by force. They were lovely though, and they matched the dress perfectly. She twisted around again, catching the light. She wondered if there was a way to feel good about this, about how she looked. A way to rationalize it so she could enjoy this moment even just a little bit. But then a hand moved to her hip and the sense of dread returned with a vengeance.

"Is that everything?" she asked softly, turning to face Vlad. She was curious about the surprise he had mentioned. The reason she was primped up like it was her wedding day.

Vlad came up behind her and held her hands out. She needed gloves. Satin gloves to her wrists, maybe. But that would be for later. Today she was just wearing the basics.

"Today I will begin teaching you how to dance," he said. "The waltz, actually." He gripped one wrist and twirled her around so she ended up in his arms. "We should take this to the ballroom." He led her out of her bedroom, down the hallway, down a flight of stairs to the grand ballroom.

Once this room had been a shrine to the Packers before that collection was destroyed when the castle was demolished. Before then this room had held an ill-fated college reunion. Before then family gatherings with the Dairy King directing his relations like a conductor with an orchestra made of ill-tuned oboes. More recently this room had been vacant, used only by the servants at gatherings they liked to pretend their master didn't know about. Vlad didn't mind; some traditions should be upheld. They'd just have to find somewhere else today.

"And here we are, my dear," he said. This was a room he hadn't shown her yet. He was saving it for something special. Something fun. Something like a waltz.

Stained glass windows on the far wall bathed the wood floor in a multitude of colors. A grand piano was tucked into one corner. An empty stage waited, seats for a quartet sitting cold and alone. A fireplace stood on one wall, set up and ready for the flame. The room felt large, empty. Felt like it could easily be filled with sound. Vlad planned on filling it with sound today.

He held her tight with one hand on her hip, swaying the two of them as he tested how she would react to his movements. Danny tried to play along, but she really didn't think she would be able to keep up if he started swinging her about.

A quick test twirl and Vlad finally let her go, leaving her in the middle of the floor as he went to go press play on the stereo control panel hidden behind some paneling in the wall. The music came from nowhere and everywhere at once, Danny even felt it in the floor under her feet.

Vlad passed by the fireplace on his way, extending a hand before the logs burst into flames Danny took a step back but Vlad was already taking her hand again pulling her close as the music came to a quick close. The sound test was successful. As suddenly as it began the music ended. "First, you need to learn the steps," he said. He put her hands where they needed to go, one draped around his neck and the other held outstretched. He placed his hands properly, one on her waist and the other holding hers.

"Now then," he said. "The waltz itself is a simple dance step. One long step, two short. Let's practice just that. Follow my lead." He pulled her close and pulled her along for some practice steps.

Danny had to stand on her toes a little bit to compensate for Vlad's height. He held her firmly, just enough so he could lead her. She moved her feet along with his, trying to keep pace, but her thoughts kept straying. Inevitably a foot fell in the wrong place and she needed to be pulled back into place by Vlad. Eventually she got used to the steps; the basic rhythm was simple enough to follow. A few more tries and it felt completely natural. She stood up a little straighter and smiled.

"Good," Vlad praised when she finally stopped trying to stand on her toes and allowed herself to match the rhythm. He stayed with the basic rhythm for a few more measures before deciding she had it down enough. A flick at the stereo started the next song, something bouncy from a piano concerto.

"Follow my lead," he purred. "Just keep to the basic rhythm and the rest will come." He swayed her around the room, letting the music flow around him and take him with it. Her steps were confused, unsure. But then that was to be expected considering this was her first time dancing with a partner. She wasn't uncoordinated, she wasn't hopeless, she was just inexperienced.

It felt really weird to Danny, not just having to focus on her movements but someone else's as well. What Vlad did mattered just as much as what she did and they had to work together to make whatever this was work. She needed to feel his movements and respond to them.. It was very… involving. This must be why dancing together was considered so romantic.

Her eyes fell closed and she bit her bottom lip, finding it easier to focus on the steps if she wasn't tempted to look at her feet. The music seemed to come from all around them and while it wasn't exactly a rock ballad Danny didn't dislike it. And it went with the dance they were trying to perform.

The concerto ended and opened into another orchestral piece. Vlad had to suppress a laugh at this piece. The Danse Macabre was an ironic choice considering what the both of them were. "Let's have a little fun with this one," Vlad purred, pulling her close and spinning her around the room.

Just when she thought she was getting the hang of it, Vlad had to do something weird. The pace picked up rapidly and they started turning in circles. Her dress reacted to the movement by swaying a step behind her as it swooshed over the marble floors. The diamonds around her hips sparkled in the light of the stained glass, moving in time with her. Fearing losing her step, she decided on less thinking and more dancing. She leaned on Vlad, letting herself think only about the music and the dance.

Slowly but surely it grew less stressful and more fun. Danny relaxed, finally managing to keep up with Vlad. She began to let go and join the music. Vlad could feel it as she leaned on him, as her eyes drifted half closed and she got that blissful look on her face. As the music began approaching a crescendo Vlad pulled out of her grasp and spun her out before pulling her back in. The surprise on her face was tempered by the playful glee as he pulled her back in and wrapped his arms around her.

Danny swayed with him. The unwillingly familiar presence of her enemy enveloped her as she laid her head on his chest. She was starting to recognize his presence so thoroughly that it made her sick to think about it. She knew exactly how she fit into his embrace. He would shift, Danny knew what he was going to do next, and she would prepare herself. A moment of dizziness as she was spun around again and she was back in Vlad's arms. She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and her lips pouting. Then he shifted again and Danny only had a second's notice before his lips pressed to hers.

Her immediate reaction was to pull away but refusing one kiss was not worth risking Vlad's anger. She closed her eyes and bore it, her arms wrapping around Vlad's neck.

The music ended as he kissed her, as he crushed her to him. She held him tightly, unwilling to let him go. He moaned in his throat before pulling away to look into her eyes. A hand came up to her cheek, softly rubbing his thumb over her skin. She was exceptionally beautiful like this, flushed and panting on the dance floor, wrapped up in a gown that matched her eyes. He bent down to kiss her again, sliding his lips across hers. His arms wrapped around her, holding her as she needed to be held.

Danny felt like a bird trapped in a cage with electrified bars, small and frightened and clinging desperately to her perch. Alone and desperate, she craved the contact even if it was from the very man who'd caged her. Even if she hated it there was reassurance in Vlad's affection for her. It was one of the few constants in her life now. Lately she had begun to wonder what she had to lose by obedience. He would get what he wanted with or without her permission anyway. Slowly she began to kiss back.

Vlad began to sway her in time with the next song even as their lips moved together. The next piece was another orchestral. Vlad pulled away from her, pausing to look in her eyes. He gently took her hand and pulled it back into proper position before leading them both back into another waltz. This one led them around the ballroom, lost in the music. Vlad's eyes drifted closed as he led, his movements getting minutely slower yet a little grander. As he spun her he could almost imagine that she wanted to be here, that she didn't still hate him. That she loved him as well. That they weren't both utterly alone.

Two more songs followed, both of them fast. Vlad seemed to delight in throwing her about like she was a doll and despite herself Danny found it kind of fun in a roller-coaster kind of way. The undercurrent of her sadness began to ease as Vlad pulled her off the ground with a spin. A short giggle escaped her lips right as she lost her right slipper to a particularly fast twirl.

Eventually she got hot and tired enough that Vlad saw fit to let her have a break. Since there were no chairs in the ballroom he lifted her up so she could sit on the piano. Danny leaned back on the polished wooden instrument, breathing heavily. Her hair fanned out in a halo around her head, her cheeks flushed and her chest labored as she caught her breath. Her skirt went over the edge of the piano, the delicate fabric looking oddly elegant draped over the smooth black surface. The skirt rode up as she shifted, her cream-colored stockings peeking out. Her shoe was still missing.

Vlad chuckled at the image she portrayed. She was splayed across the piano, her legs kicking freely as she giggled. Her hair was wild and free, an intriguing dichotomy to the elegance of her gown and stockings. Speaking of... Vlad went and fetched her shoe. He grinned as he caught her wiggling foot and slid the shoe back on. He then slid his hand back up her leg before leaning against the piano.

It was a companionable silence as he gazed around the ballroom. The room seemed much brighter than it had been in years.

Danny pulled her feet up and rested her head on her forearm, curling into herself. Her smile faded into an expression of contentment. She looked up at the ceiling then turned onto her side, her eyes drifting shut. A moment later she felt a hand on her back. She didn't resist as Vlad rubbed her shoulders. The hand moved up and traced the light scars from the bite-marks he had left on her neck. Danny tilted her head and looked him in the eyes, trying to decode the odd look he was giving her.

She looked so contented. Like Maddie the cat always did after knocking over the bottle of cream. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Vlad asked as he tickled her fingers along her neck.

"Um yes," she admitted. "It's a lot more fun than it sounds. I always thought waltzes were old people things."

"Waltzes used to be banned in proper circles," Vlad said, looking self-important. "It was considered too, ah, too fun. Contributed to the delinquency of youthful society." He snorted. "You can imagine why. Snooty 18th century nobility all up in arms about having fun while dancing. Worse! Having fun while dancing with the servants! The scandal..."

His hand dropped down, rubbing her back. "You may come here whenever you wish," he continued. "There's several centuries worth of music in the library. You can come down here to dance with no one watching or fiddle with the piano or even just to lay on the floor and listen to the music. I do that sometimes. The stained glass windows are dazzling with the setting sun shining through them."

Danny lifted her hand and took his, pulling it away from her neck. She held it tightly as Vlad helped her sit up. She looked and the floor and crossed her legs. So she was allowed in this room now. Was that a reward for dancing with him? Danny could see herself coming here; the opportunity to listen to music was tempting especially since she wasn't allowed TV. So behaving to get this privilege wasn't a bad thing… Right?

Danny was distracted from her musings by a loud yawn. She leaned back, lifting her arms in a stretch. Her shoulders slumped with fatigue as her stretch ended. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately.

He rubbed her back. He hadn't expected her to get tired so quickly. But then she hadn't exactly been keeping up with any sort of physical routine. Perhaps he should bring her down here to dance more often. She needed the workout. "You look tired, my dear," he said. "Perhaps you'd like to rest for a bit before dinner?"

Danny nodded and slid from the piano, taking Vlad's hand. He wrapped an arm around her hips and let her lean against him as they walked back up the steps to her bedroom.

Not even caring about the dress, Danny flopped into bed. Her fingers grasped for a pillow to she clutch tightly to her chest. Behind her Vlad knelt down and kissed her cheek. Vlad left her sleeping in the bed. She was so tired from their dancing that she didn't even kick off her shoes before falling asleep.

He sighed happily as he set the ghost shield. That was... fun. Not just because the waltz itself was fun, no, more than that. For the first time since he'd known her he'd heard her laugh. Not the mocking laughter of enemies on the battlefield, not the disbelieving giggle of a defeated hero grasping at the last threads of a plan. Real, genuine laughter. And he'd been the one to pull it from her.

He wandered into the greenhouse, listening to the raucous calls of the parrotlets. If only for a moment she'd been happy in his arms. It was true, making her happy was secondary to the much grander goal but still. If he were going to be spending years, decades with this woman as they raised their children then he wanted her to perhaps not hate him so thoroughly. Moments like this...

Moments like this told him that it might work. That she might eventually learn to not hate him, to enjoy his company. Maybe even love him.

The parrots shrieked at the setting sun. It was growing late. Dinner would be served soon. He headed back inside.

Hmm. She wasn't ready for dinner yet. And the chef was preparing something special for her tonight. He went up to her room to check on her. Ah. That would be why.

Vlad pulled the blankets over her still-sleeping form and kissed her. She mumbled in her sleep but didn't wake. He rubbed his fingers through her hair and let her get her rest. He'd make sure to bring her a tray of something for when she woke up. But for now he dined alone and retired to the lounge for a glass of wine.

For once his plans were coming together. For once something was going right.

* * *

Danny woke with a start. More than a start, she bolted upright in bed, eyes wide. The dark bedroom came into focus around her. A few terrifying moments passed as she tried to remember where she was, unsure if her kidnapping was real or if the last two weeks were just some excruciatingly detailed dream.

She looked down at her hands, trying to figure out what had woken her. She scanned the room for Vlad but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. There was no light peeking in through the curtains for him to blind her with. Slowly she tried to think back to what had upset her. There was a sense of dread hanging in the air and she was clueless as to why. It was like her body knew something horrible had just happened and wasn't telling her mind for fear of upsetting it.

Then she remembered, a slight twinge in her tummy… no lower...

It couldn't be her period; she knew what that felt like and this wasn't it. The odd feeling was still there, little twinges too soft to be cramps. Danny placed a hand over her belly. What was different this time? That was easy; Vlad fucking her every night in hopes of getting her pregnant.

Pregnant... No.

Danny covered her mouth with a hand, trying to hold in her scream. The sound was muffled but nothing could dampen the panic.

No, no way. She couldn't be... Not yet…

There wasn't any logic in that statement; she vividly remembered being held down, Vlad's seed pouring into her, she could even remember it running down her thighs! If she didn't get pregnant at some point Vlad would have considered it a failure.

Would have...

Denial wasn't working, not this time. She knew it was true, knew it with a sense unlike anything else she had ever felt before. Her body was prepared and ready for the monumental task of creating a new human, even if she wasn't.

Danny rolled over and twisted in the bed sheets, thrashing and punching and kicking vainly at the air. She knew this was going to happen. Vlad had straight up told her that from day one. But feeling it inside her, knowing that there was no going back now...

She stood up and launched herself at anything in the room she could smash. The books were pulled off the shelves, the dinner tray left for her splattered against that wall, pillows flew everywhere and she even upturned the mattress. But it was all useless, completely useless. Danny slumped against the wall and started sobbing. She dug the heels of her hands against her eyes as she tried to hold back the tears.

She had to escape, she had to. There had to be a way, something she had overlooked. She blinked red rimmed eyes as she looked at the balcony. Was she desperate enough to jump? Just maybe...

But then...

The fireplace, why hadn't she thought of it before? Danny stood, nearly tripping over her ball gown. Her hand hit the cold stone mantlepiece and she pulled open the glass doors, shoving a few half-burned logs out of the way. She knelt in the soot and squinted up the chimney to the tiny pinprick of light shining down, a glimpse of the night sky. She was on the top floor of the castle, a princess in the tower. It couldn't be that far to climb. If she could do it in human form she might escape the ghost shield guarding her room.

Her bare fingers scrabbled at the brick, seeking a grip in the grimy stone. She braced her back against the side and pulled with her arms, pressing her knees into the far wall and holding herself in place. The ball gown dragged against the rough stone but Danny wouldn't go back down to change. She needed to keep moving before she realized how crazy this plan was. Slowly she slid her knees up, bracing them against the chimney wall while she shimmied up and found a new handhold. She repeated this over and over but she had to be careful. If her knees got lodged under her chin she would have been stuck, unable to move until Vlad found her in the morning, probably hours away.

She could almost hear his condescending sneer. _Foolish girl, did you honestly think you could escape me like that? I'm surprised you made it this far without hurting yourself._

_It doesn't matter, you know. In a few short months your pregnancy will keep you from fitting into such a tight space, never mind up to the physical task. One last show of defiance, Daniella, but now you're mine..._

Her shoulders and hands were scratched raw and bleeding before she reached the halfway point. Inch by inch, second by second she made her progress. As long as she was moving there was hope. Hours passed, days even, or so it felt. Every moment bled into the next and she couldn't stop to think. Thinking would drive her to fall for sure. She stopped looking up, freedom so close, unable to bear the sight of the light so far away...

Then her fingers curved around something and she looked up. Her hand was curved over the edge of the chimney as she saw the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. No...no way...

The night sky spread out all around her, fading into the darkened horizon. She could smell the scents of hay and leaves on the wind, brought up from neighboring farms, the world beyond those horrid walls.

A sudden surge of energy took her and Danny gripped the edge with both hands, performing the hardest pull up of her entire life. Her legs kicked at the flue as she pulled. One of her shoes fell, landing in the hearth far below her with a dull thump. She would probably make a much louder noise if she fell... Danny closed her eyes and pulled harder, pulled until the world tilted on its axis.

When she next regained her senses she was laying on uneven roof tiles, the moonlight shining down on her from above. Danny pushed herself up, gazing around in disbelief.

She… she'd done it...

She wasn't out of the woods yet but she had made it. Finally something was going right! After a moment to recover she got to her feet, steadying herself on the roof. She could see for miles up here. The night wind whipped up her hair and skirt, drawing a shiver from the tiny woman alone on the endless stretch of shingles.

Her human form felt heavy; looking down sent a twinge of vertigo up her spine. Danny closed her eyes. She hadn't been able to regain her ghost from for weeks now. Vlad had mentioned that the upgraded Plasmius Maximus's effects could be unpredictable, that she would recover her powers back eventually. That there was no use for them at the moment so they should just wait.

She needed them now unless she wanted to try to scale the walls of sheer rock. Danny grit her teeth and stood up straight, growling softly as she forced herself to her transformation. It was like trying to pull an elastic band, easy at first but then harder and harder as she made more progress. The rings made it to her breasts before a sudden breeze snapped her concentration and nearly blew her off the roof.

She stepped back, took a deep breath, and tried again. The rings blossomed and traveled up. Hips, tummy, breasts, shoulders...

She opened shining green eyes.

A few giddy steps and she threw herself off the roof. Sky rushed all around her as she flew and Danny let loose a whoop of excitement. Oh, she had missed flying so much.

There was a crackle in the air and Danny screeched to a stop. Still she smacked head-on into the invisible ghost shield on the perimeter of the castle. She reached out a hand and touched the wall, drawing away with a hiss as the shield burned her fingers. There had to be a way around this.

With a sigh she landed. Back on the ground, Danny changed back into her human form, the ball gown settling heavily on her as her hazmat suit vanished. She paced the edge of the wall looking for a crack, a foothold, something… then her fingers closed around a vine.

She grabbed fistfuls of stems ,hoping against hope they wouldn't break. She just had to make this work for a few moments; after the chimney this should be easy. Her other shoe fell from her foot but now she could curl her toes into cracks in the uneven stones. Once again her fingers found the top and she hauled herself up.

She'd done it. She'd found a way passed Vlad's last defense. She jumped over the edge right into a rose brush. Sure, there were thorns in her backside but they were thorns of **freedom**.

After several moments of cursing she pulled herself free of the rose bush, mostly. The diamond chain was a lost cause, tangled up in the brambles. She undid the clasp and left it there. She didn't need Vlad's gifts, not now, not anymore.

A flash of light and the skin-tight comfort of her ghost suit returned. She had no idea where she was besides knowing what state she was in but that didn't matter. Pick a direction and fly. Danny lifted her head and took to the sky, racing away so fast the grass where she was standing would never grow straight again.

* * *

Note: Yes, some women can feel that moment when the egg implants. Not all but some.


	4. Capture

Co-written between Tangerine Catnip and NebulousMistress

This story deals with some very harsh themes. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and graphic rape with the goal being forced pregnancy. However, this chapter is rape-free.

* * *

Vlad hummed as he came down for breakfast. Actually hummed. Things were finally looking up. Yesterday was a rousing success. He'd held her in his arms and listened to her gleeful laughter as he spun her around the dance floor. She'd been dressed like a princess, had danced with abandon, had thrown her head back and laughed, her eyes closed as she gave herself over to the music. And he'd held her close, lifted her in his arms, kissed her, felt her respond! Willingly!

Yesterday was one of the best days of his half-ghost life.

He debated letting her sleep in past her usual wake-up call. For a moment. But then she'd slept more than enough the day before. He made his way down the corridor to her bedroom, his footsteps slowing as he went. Something wasn't right here...

Something was wrong.

He wasn't sure what but something left him feeling cold even as he stood outside the bedroom door. It took a moment for him to realize... Vlad slammed his palm on the scanner, dropping the ghost shield. He fumbled with the keys. Something was horribly wrong. He couldn't sense her.

The panel slid open and he looked into hell. The room was utterly destroyed. Everything that wasn't nailed down was thrown around the room in a thoughtless chaos. It looked like a tornado had blown through here.

Vlad stared blankly at the room. He couldn't collect together enough thought to make a plan or come to a decision. He slid the panel closed, letting the scene disappear as he stared at the blank wall of the corridor.

A single furious, demented scream echoed through the stones of the castle. It took him a moment to realize it was his own.

* * *

Hearing the scream, the burly guard ducked back around the corner. He wasn't sure what the boss was screaming about but he sure hoped it wasn't his fault. It was bad enough that he was disobeying orders by coming into the castle at all. Just his luck he had to draw the short straw and face the boss alone.

The ghost guard gritted his teeth. No time like the present to find out if there's life after Second Death, right? He turned the corner and floated respectfully up to Vlad. The halfa turned and the large ghost paled, words dying in his throat. Instead he held out what he was holding in his hands, an elegant dancing slipper and a chain of silver and diamonds.

Vlad's eyes glowed red as he saw the pretty little items. His first instinct was to vaporize it all on the spot, the shoe, the diamonds, and the unfortunate creature carrying them. Fortunately for the guard, Vlad still held some measure of control over his powers. Instead he descended like a vulture on the poor ghost, curling his claws around the guard's throat. The transformation lurked just under his skin, drawing shadow out of the corridor to collect around him in an aura of black as he growled.

"Where did you find those?" Vlad snarled.

The ghost gasped and squirmed in Vlad's grip, the objects falling to the floor as he clawed at the hand around his neck. "The gar-" he managed to choke out.

Vlad's fingers tightened before he realized he needed to give the ghost a chance to answer. He gave the guard another inch.

"The gardens!" the guard said, gasping. "Near the wall! The shoe was on this side, the belt on the other. We think your prisoner escaped but we don't know how she even made it out of the castle. The bolts on the door are not tampered with and none of the windows have been smashed."

Vlad growled. Escaped. She'd escaped. White hot fury burned in his chest, forcing the transformation on him. He tossed the guard away, just barely preventing himself from dissolving it right there. He stalked up and down the corridor like an animal, his thoughts overtaking him as he growled under his breath.

She'd escaped. Why? **WHY?! ** Not even a day after they'd made so much progress! Or was it all a lie? Was perhaps her every movement, every action, every little moment with him a lie? A carefully crafted lie while she planned and plotted her escape?

What if every little gain they'd made was all false? All created to lull him into a false sense of security? What if it was all a lie?

He stopped his pacing. Vlad unlocked the door to her room and let the door stand open. This is where she should be. Where she would have been. What happened? How could he have missed something like this?

How did she escape?

The room was in shambles. But as he looked around he could tell that it was all done with mere hands. No burn marks from ectoblasts, no gouges from claws, nothing ripped in half with great strength. This was either a passionate fury done by a human or a carefully constructed tableau to fool him into thinking this was spontaneous. But maybe not. Her powers hadn't come back yet.

He made his way to the balcony. The window was still latched. Vlad opened it and stepped outside.

This was what she saw every day. It was kind of pretty. The sun low on the horizon heralding the new day. Little dots of cows in far flung fields. The stone wall with its omnipresent vines. Very little to betray the century. Aside from the little dust spot of a car on a dirt road over a mile away there was no way to tell this was the present day. He didn't understand why she would have needed to escape from this. Here she was as alone as he was. But then she wasn't used to it, was she?

Vlad came inside. He collapsed against the fireplace mantle and sighed deeply. He'd failed. Regardless of what happened he'd failed. He couldn't keep her here. He didn't even know how she got out. If he knew that then maybe...

He stared down at the stone hearth. It took a long moment before he realized the logs were supposed to go inside the fireplace. And there was something out of place...

Vlad bent down to get a closer look. He reached out into the cold ashes and picked up what caught his eye. A shoe? The match to...

The wind whistled in the chimney. A strike of clarity. He stuck his head in the fireplace and looked up. "Cinnamon sticks," he whispered.

The chimney was just large enough for someone to climb up. Especially someone small, thin. Someone shaped like Daniella.

The sight before him grew red as the shoe in his hand burned. In his fury he'd set it on fire.

Vlad snarled and stormed out of the room.

He had a wayward half-ghost to find. She couldn't have gotten far.

* * *

A few hundred miles away a farmer was in the middle of breakfast. He sipped his coffee and chewed on his cereal while he read the newspaper and listened to the radio. There wasn't much on his mind. His wife was out of town visiting her sister and he was enjoying the peace and quiet. The sun was up and it was looking like it was going to be a gorgeous day. He sat back in his chair and listened to the music… at least until it was suddenly interrupted.

"We have a breaking news bulletin. Vlad Masters, known locally as the 'dairy prince', has put out a notice to all citizens living near his estate in Parkdale. His niece went missing sometime last night and he's looking for any information regarding her location."

Farmer Ben sat up, interested. A missing girl? Been awhile since something that interesting happened in these parts. Though this was Vlad Masters, one of the richest men in the country. He likely had problems like this on a daily basis.

"A hefty reward has been offered for any information that leads to her safe return. Masters has added that she's not in the most stable mindset at the moment and has advised people not to approach her. She's unarmed but is considered dangerous."

Oh, so she was a mental patent, hm? That explained a few things. Masters probably kept her locked in a closet to prevent her from ruining the family's reputation. Sounds like the girl got away though... He lifted a hand to his chin. That reward didn't sound too bad. Who knows what rewards grateful billionaires might give.

"-nineteen, long black hair, blue eyes, and was last seen in a light blue dress. She's also missing both her shoes. If you see anyone matching that description please call-"

He wrote down the number as he finished his breakfast. Then he stretched and headed outside to begin the morning chores. The animals needed to be fed. Cows first then chickens then pigs. Same as every other day.

The cows were in from the field, having spent the night in their paddock. Ben carried a bag of feed for their breakfast. But as he approached the paddock he realized that something was wrong, very wrong.

The cows huddled together like one of their number was injured. But while Bessie was lying down it didn't look like any of them were in distress. Ben hopped the fence into the paddock to get a closer look. The cows let him aside. He was Their Guy, after all. They trusted him. Maybe he would know what to do with this little pretty they'd found.

Curled up on the ground, using Bessie as a pillow, was a young woman who matched the description from the radio bulletin with one exception: she looked like she'd been through hell. Mud caked her feet and legs up to her knees. What had to have been a beautiful ball gown was torn and shredded, not helped the least by Diamond ripping pieces off and chewing on it. Angie nuzzled the girl's hair, licking her behind the ears. Probably trying to wake her up.

Ben knelt down next to the woman to get a better look at her. Her hands were torn and swollen but not bleeding anymore. Her hair was knotted and wild, not the least of which because Angie kept licking even when Ben tried to shoo her off. The girl was pale, too, and cold. Very cold. Ben patted Bessie on the head. "Good girl," he said.

No wonder the cows were acting strange. They could tell this girl was in danger.

Bessie looked up at him, her big brown eyes asking if he knew what do. He usually stepped in at this point and made things all better. The best she could do was keep the human warm and calm; she had no idea how humans worked or what might be wrong with this one.

"Just keep doing what you're doing and I'll be right back," Ben said encouragingly. He left the cows to guard her while he made the call. His voice was excited but reassuring so Bessie trusted that the right things were being done. The herd stayed where they were, all of them still rather shocked by the sudden appearance of a flying woman. She'd appeared in the early morning sky, falling to earth to take a nap in their hay. It was an awful lot of excitement for before breakfast.

A calf waked up the woman and nuzzled her chest, looking at her lower half intently, wondering where her legs had gone. He knelt down beside Diamond and set to work trying to free the human from her cloth prison.

Ben returned later with a promise that Masters was on his way in person. He looked down at the sleeping woman and wondered if he should wake her. The news report had mentioned that she was unusable and he wasn't sure he wanted to have to deal with that. She certainly looked the part of an escaped nutter. In the end he decided to leave her alone. The cows would see that she stayed warm and he could keep an eye on her better as he did his morning chores. Ben sighed and went to go get the bag of feed he'd dropped. Better get a head start before the cavalry arrived. No reason he should count himself a millionaire before he knew for sure if Mr. Masters would hold up his end of the reward bargain. At least finding her had been laughably easy.

* * *

"She's right back here in the cow paddock. It didn't feel right to move her but don't you worry. The cows took good care of 'er."

Ben led the rather severe looking man around the barn, trying to pretend he didn't notice the huge pale men who had arrived with him. He had never seen Vlad Masters up close before. He was a lot more, well, frightening in person but that could have been his mood. He sure didn't seem happy about finding his niece; eager, for sure, but not happy. He hadn't waited a moment before demanding to see her and even now Vlad wasn't following him so much as stepping on his heels in his haste. Finally they reached the gate leading into the paddock. Ben opened the latch, holding it for Vlad. "Over there," he said, pointing to the huddle of cows.

Cows. Why did it have to be cows. Vlad had nearly phased through the cattle gate but he had to keep up appearances. Once the gate was opened Vlad rushed in. He needed to get to her before she escaped again, before she said anything, before she vanished in a puff of smoke. Before she disappeared. Daniella was **his**. He'd been the one to find her, to work so hard on capturing her, to keep her. He was not going to lose his prize because of something so simple as forgetting to put a grate up in a chimney. What could have made her so desperate to try to climb the chimney, anyway?

But there she was… surrounded by cows. She was curled on the ground between two cows lying in the grass. One was pressed against her side, another was letting itself be used as a pillow. More cows stood around her; one licked her neck, one licked her stockinged thighs, and a third gnawed on the remains of the skirt of her dress.

The cow licking her neck stopped mid-lick as it saw Vlad and the look on his face. It pulled away and seemed to look almost apologetic before stepping back. The cow chewing her dress attempted to look like it wasn't doing anything wrong. The cow licking her thighs stepped back. But the two laying on the ground with her gave him very distinct looks.

Vlad knelt down next to her and took her hand. It was cold, icy cold from some inner source. That meant her powers were back.

He pet the cow she was using as a pillow, scratching it around the horns. The cow rumbled, a soft contented sound. It was so typical of his life that it would be cows that found Daniella and kept her safe.

Vlad stood up and made his way back to the farmer. "You found her," he said, honestly relieved. Now would come the hard part: getting her back to the castle.

"Ah, well, it was the cows really," Ben said. "My girl Bessie has always been real mother-like. Whenever a cow is sick she won't never leave their side till they're all better again." He shrugged and crossed his arms. "She looks something awful, I can't even imagine how she got this far on foot. Last I checked your castle was hundreds of miles away. It's no wonder she passed out in a field."

Ben sighed and looked Vlad in the eyes. "I know it's not my business asking but what's wrong with the poor thing anyway?" he asked. "The radio mentioned she's not quite right in the head. Is that why she ran away?"

"She climbed a chimney and lowered herself from the roof with a vine when she could just have used the door," Vlad said. "My sister's family has never really been quite, ah, right in the head. But I didn't realize my niece would be this bad." Vlad shook his head, exuding the air of a long-suffering caregiver. "I guess I'll just have to break down and tell people not to pick up hitchhikers from my direction anymore," he said. "Especially disturbed women in ball gowns. People are so trusting around here, always willing to lend a hand, offer a ride... You have no idea how grateful I am that your, ah, cows found her."

"Like I say, t'ant nothing. My wife's side of the family is like that too, don't tell her I said that though." Ben smiled. He was rather hopeful about that reward but he wasn't going to ask unless he had to. "Perhaps you should go over and try to wake her up. Maybe she'll react better seeing a friendly face and we won't have to rely on your, uhh... friends there." He pointed to the two thinly disguised ghosts dressed as mental health workers. The ghosts even wielded syringes. "Once you wake her up I'll make sure the cows stay out of your way."

Vlad nodded. He went back into the paddock and knelt down next to Daniella again. The cows watched him, especially that one, what was her name, right, Bessie. Vlad rubbed Bessie behind the horns again, just like he used to do as a kid with his uncle's pet cows. She gave a rumbling groan and licked his hand. Bleh. Cow spit. He wiped his hand on the grass.

Vlad rubbed Danny's face with his hand. She made a soft sound and snuggled against the cow's flank. "Wake up, my dear," Vlad murmured. "Come back to me, my little badger."

After being prodded and chewed on and licked by cows all morning Danny didn't react to his nudging right away. She turned away from him as perhaps her subconscious sensed that the nightmare she had been having now stood over her. But then... Blue eyes opened a crack, sleep still heavy in her mind. Then her pupils narrowed to tiny pinpricks as panic gripped her. Her chest stopped still as she forgot to breathe. A scream, a loud one, broke the silence of the country air and startled the cows. Bessie scrambled to her feet and bolted, riled by the sudden panic. The rest of the cows scattered, their hoof beats drowning out Danny's screaming. Vlad's hand clamped over her mouth tightly, muffling the sound. She lashed out at him with feet and fists but Vlad pinned her easily.

Her eyes flashed green, ready to tap into her ghost powers. She was like ice in his arms. Furious, panicked, a wild animal fighting the rope around its neck. He had to get some sense back into the girl before she blew their secrets, any of them, and Vlad was forced to engineer a freak explosion to take care of the witness.

"We're not alone, my dear," he hissed into her ear. She jerked her head back, slamming him in the eye. Ow. Let's try this again.

He spun them around so she was facing the human, grabbed her chin and forced her to look right at the farmer as he was busy calming his livestock. "As I said," he whispered. "We're not alone. But go ahead and take ghost form, my dear. We can battle it out right here in broad daylight. Then after I defeat you and drag you back to the castle I can silence the witnesses. Permanently. Farmsteads like these have propane tanks for household fuel. Very... explosive."

The green in Danny's eyes faded but her struggles didn't wane. How did Vlad find her? They were on a farm in the middle of nowhere! Danny's thoughts ran wild trying to find a way out. There had to be a way out. She couldn't fall into Vlad's hands again, she just couldn't! Not after all that, not after she had finally escaped...

She could feel his hands all over her, holding her still, keeping her captive, and she couldn't do a thing about it. She tried to bite Vlad's hand, only managing to scrape his palm with her teeth. She thrashed until fatigue kicked in and she slumped. Her eyes burned and she blinked back tears. This was all her fault. She had told herself it was safe to take a break, that Vlad wouldn't find her. She should have kept on flying till she was home, not stopped no matter how tired she got. She was so stupid...

"Good girl," Vlad said, not bothering to whisper. "Now then, are you going to come home with your Uncle Vlad? We need to get you out of those clothes and into the bathtub. You smell like cow." Even though she'd stopped struggling he still held her in a vice-like grip. His head throbbed where she'd headbutted him; he was probably already getting a black eye for his troubles. A small price to pay for finding his little badger and bringing her home.

Across the field, Ben finished calming the herd and walked back over. Vlad was holding the poor girl rather tightly but it did look like she was making quite the fuss. The look in her eyes though. She looked so scared.

Vlad handed the girl off to one of his henchmen, nearly getting kicked in the stomach in the process. Once her mouth was uncovered she started screaming at him again.

That girl bandied the kind of language that would sour milk. The cows were getting edgy again. It was time to move this show out of their line of sight. Ben and Vlad walked out of the pasture while the pale men split the duty of holding the girl still. She went quiet as one of them clamped his hand over her mouth.

Ben was starting to get the feeling that something wasn't quite right. He had known that the girl might be manic or distressed but this felt different. It wasn't insanity he saw in those eyes. "Can you do anything for her?" he asked, looking back at the trapped woman. "She was awful cold when I went to check on her, I think she might be sick."

"She likely spent the night outside," Vlad said. "It wasn't exactly warm last night. Still, I'll have the doctor check her out. Most likely she just needs a hot bath." Vlad watched the 'orderlies' stab her with a needle. Her struggles lessened as her eyelids began to droop. Good. Maybe they'd be able to make it back to the castle before she awoke. "But you're likely more interested in the promised reward than the details of my niece's treatment."

Ben bit his lip and nodded. The girl really was none of his business and a rich guy like Vlad would be able to get her the best care in the states.

They arrived at Vlad's car. One of the henchmen carried the limp body of the girl, bending down to lay her across one of the long leather seats. The other got in the driver's seat and started the engine.

Vlad paused. He had already prepared the money and left it in the side door. He took the stack of bills and passed it to the farmer. There was twenty grand in total, more than enough to keep a mundane mind off everything he had seen today. Ben gaped, offering a stuttered thanks to the man as he got into the limo beside his sleeping niece. The door slammed and the car pulled away.

Ben stood there for some time before the mooing from the pasture reminded him that he had never fed the cows. With a smile plastered over his face he went back into the house.

* * *

The unmarked black limo pulled away from the farm, rumbling along the local roads until it reached the main road. As soon as they reached the state highway the 'orderlies' shed their disguises, once again becoming the two green blobs that Vlad relied on for guarding, for grunt work, for kidnappings...

Vlad sat in the back with Daniella. The sedative would keep her under for a few hours. Long enough to get her back to the castle, behind closed doors and ghost shields. Until then she lay sprawled over the leather seat, her head in his lap. He slowly ran his fingers through her hair. The strands were crusted with cow spit and little bits of grass and hay.

"Why did you run away?" he asked. She didn't answer, sleeping off the sedative. "Things were going so well. You were settling in quite nicely and now you had to ruin it all by trying to run away. We're going to have to start all over again, you know. With you confined to a single room. I don't think I can trust you alone in your bedroom anymore. I didn't want to do this to you, my dear, but you forced my hand."

He laughed softly to himself. "How did you end up in that field, anyway? I'd have thought you'd hide yourself better. Unless you wanted me to find you. You're very lucky, you know. Lucky that those cows looked after you until I could find you." Vlad stared off into space as his mind tried to tell him something. "Or maybe it wasn't luck..."

"Cows never do anything nice for me, not anymore," Vlad mused. "Not since I sold my uncle's cow herd, liquidated the dairy, and invested the money. It hasn't mattered one lick that I've increased the family fortune by more than a hundred fold. I guess this means my uncle finally approves of something in my life. Or someone, at least. Maybe I should reopen the dairy, I don't know. I'll have to ask him when we get back to the castle. That'll be a weird conversation. Have to summon his ghost with a block of cheese... Having to consult the Dairy King on family matters is a strange thing, I do hope you realize what you're putting me through."

Daniella didn't answer. He didn't expect her to. But she would answer for his questions when they got back to the castle.


	5. Princess in the Tower

Co-written between Tangerine Catnip and NebulousMistress

This story deals with some very harsh themes. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and graphic rape with the goal being forced pregnancy. However, this chapter is rape-free. Honestly, I think the rest of this story is _technically_ rape-free. In that Vlad would argue it's not _technically_ rape anymore...

* * *

Danny's awakening came hard and fast and was not at all welcome. Her cheek stung with the slap that had woken her. The shock of the Plasmius Maximus came mere seconds after and quickly removed any trace of drowsiness from her system. She sat bolt upright, only having time to catch a glimmer of the anger in Vlad's eyes before the back of her dress was grabbed and she was pulled roughly along like a sack of potatoes.

Vlad was furious. The agony of the Plasmius Maximus was not enough for him, not after all that she had put him through. The reward money meant nothing, akin to the change he would expect to find in a couch. No, it wasn't the loss of any sort of material possession. It was the worry, the fear, the anger, the agony of losing her, searching for her, trying desperately to find her while the locals dressed their own daughters in blue gowns and threw them at him. As though somehow he was going to mistake some peasant girl for his missing Daniella.

He still didn't understand why she would run away. Aside from that second day he hadn't been horrible to her in the slightest. She'd never shown the type of desperation that he would expect in someone willing to crawl up a chimney. No, she'd laughed! She'd responded! She'd wrapped her arms around him as he draped her in finery and led her around the dance floor like she was a princess! Vlad dragged her down a few choice corridors of the castle, favoring those with barren stone walls and flickering lighting. "I've treated you like a princess," he growled. "And you repay me by running away."

Danny tossed her matted hair as she fought against Vlad's iron grip. She tried turning, lashing her hands out to try to force him off but she couldn't manage to get any purchase. "Let go!" she yelled, kicking her legs hard but she couldn't managing to create enough friction to even slow him down. She screamed again, gasping as the dress was pulled. It tightened around her chest, digging into her skin. "You're hurting me Vlad, stop!"

The floor she was being dragged along turned to cold stone and she didn't recognize the part of the castle she was in anymore. It looked like it hadn't changed since medieval times; there were even sconces for torches along the walls.

They came to a stone staircase. The stench of damp stone and rotting wood permeated the air as he picked her up and stormed up those steps one by one. He completely ignored her protests. Of course his actions were hurting her - she had never really known pain before a few scant weeks ago so any sensation she didn't agree with was automatically classified as painful.

"Apparently you've been reading too many fairy tales," Vlad snapped. "You think you need to be locked away in order to be a princess. Well then." The steps ended at an antique wooden door with iron bands. Rust and time had conspired to turn a simple wooden door into something menacing, something that promised torture. Vlad yanked the door open and bodily threw her inside.

The stone floor of the tower was cold, hard, uncomfortable. His servants had at least brought up a pile of straw, golden strands scattered over the floor in one spot just big enough to curl up on. A rotting, leaky bucket sat against the wall under a window just barely big enough to see through. There was no glass in the windows here, mere arrow slits in the tallest tower. "You want to cast yourself as a princess in a tower, my dear?" Vlad snarled. "Very well. I am happy to oblige."

She hit the floor hard, just managing to twist during her fall to avoid breaking her nose. Danny curled up on her side and wrapped her arms around herself as she choked, trying to recover from the impact of falling on hard stone. There was blood on her chin but a quick check chalked it up to just a split lip. She almost felt disappointed; a broken jaw would have felt more dramatic, provided more pain. Physical pain to match the emotional. Something to show him how evil he was.

Danny rolled over, turning her back on Vlad. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. He won't understand anyway, he would just go on about her being a spoiled princess. God, she hated him. He had already taken everything from her and still he bitched and moaned. Danny hid her face on her arm, warm tears slipped her rapidly blinking eyes. She didn't sob, no, these tears came from sheer misery, emotionless and silent. She lay quiet and still as if she were dead.

But Vlad did not allow her to wallow in self-pity for long. No, he would not allow her the privilege. She didn't deserve it. He grabbed her by the hair and hauled her to her knees before wrapping his hands around her neck. He began to squeeze.

"WHY!" he shouted, his red eyes boring into her blue ones. "I give you everything, **EVERYTHING**! And more, the promise of so much more! I keep you safe here, give you a future! So much more than you ever would have had out there! And you still try to leave me! **WHY**?!"

Danny's hands lifted up and tugged against his, trying to pull him off. Her head spun from the lack of oxygen but she wasn't going to sputter or gasp for him. If he wanted to strangle her to death then let him; in this moment she didn't give one shit. His eyes blazed with fury while she looked back cold as stone. Her fingernails dug into his hands, trying to cause as much discomfort as she could. "Fuck... you..." she growled hoarsely right before curling her lips and spitting in his face.

Vlad's hands twisted, almost managing enough force to snap her neck before his hands seemed to realize what they were doing. Vlad threw her against the wall, taking a sickening satisfaction as her head cracked against the stone. He wiped the spit out of his eye, feeling the bruise where she'd headbutted him earlier. Fury burned hot within him, the desire to make her hurt barely held back by the knowledge that she was stuck in human form at the moment, locked away from her powers. If he hurt her in the way he desperately wanted to then she would die. So instead he smoldered, white hot coals lurking under a layer of gray ash. Only his glowing red eyes betrayed the fire within. "You made me your monster once," he whispered, a soft growl barely audible over the whistling wind gusting through the arrow slits. "Don't do it again. You won't survive..."

Vision blurred and head throbbing, Danny slunk to the floor. She felt like she was going to be sick. She pulled herself up into a slump against the wall and spat on the floor again, this time tinted with blood. Her lips curled into a smile. Her chest heaved with joyless laughter. "Go ahead, Vlad," she whispered, not looking him in the eye. "It would serve you right to kill me the day after you'd already won." Perhaps it was the stress making her loopy but right now it all seemed far too funny.

Vlad grabbed her by the front of her dress and shoved her against the wall. Something about what she'd said... A day after he'd won? Won what? It didn't matter. He wasn't in the mood for riddles, not now, not with her, not for a very long time. Time she would spend here where he could make sure she didn't escape again. He didn't relish the idea of coming up here to have her but if that was what needed to be done then so be it.

Danny smiled, barely feeling the pain anymore. "What are you waiting for?" she taunted. "Do it."

Her arch enemy loomed over her. She wasn't sure if she truly wanted it but in that moment it seemed like her only options were saying trapped here forever or baiting Vlad into killing her. To put her out of this misery and get her revenge all in one fell swoop, it seemed so tempting. He would die alone without her, without his children, without the girl who he had focused his life around. She knew the guilt would claw at his insides until he was a withered old husk. The only way it could be worse is if he knew how close he had come before he ruined it all. Danny closed her eyes. "Go... go ahead," she said. "I'm already pregnant. Killing me is the last thing you could do to hurt me."

Vlad froze. He'd intended to leave her here to stew and pine alone until he felt she deserved a chance to earn back the right to sleep in a bed but... Instead he found his world spinning as the bottom dropped out of it. He didn't leave her there and storm off. He didn't blast her in the face with an ectoblast. He didn't wrap his hands around her neck again. Instead he wrapped her in his arms and held tight.

What had he almost done?

Danny breathed heavily, shivering with rage and nerves. Fuck, she shouldn't have told him. She shouldn't have. He held her close and Danny felt her eyes burn. She hated him so much. She rested her forehead on his shoulder and started crying again, whimpering softly as her fingers dug into his shirt. "You selfish bastard," she mumbled into his shoulder, beginning to fall into the sobbing of fitful hysteria. "You should have just killed me…" She slammed her fists against his chest over and over.

"I could never willingly kill you," Vlad whispered. He didn't feel her fists pounding against him or the wetness of her tears against his skin. He barely heard her sobs. "Even when you drive me to it I try so hard not to."

Pregnant. She was pregnant. Or she claimed to be. How could she know? Maybe she felt it. But what if that was something else? What if this was all because of a false alarm? What if she was lying to him, trying to hurt him again? He would need to run a blood test. But for now he needed to hold her.

He'd hurt her. He'd barely stopped himself from going too far. He needed to remind himself that she was still here. Hurting and hating but still here. Hurt would heal, hatred would fade. So long as she was here everything would be okay.

Slowly but surely Danny ran out of energy. The danger over, her adrenaline rush left her. Where anger had fueled her now she only felt hollow. She felt Vlad pick her up and she closed her eyes. There wasn't even room to think anymore. He was such a twisted man. Only Vlad could turn something like love so rotten. She lay in his arms lulled by his sudden moment of kindness. She wondered if it was for her sake or the unborn baby's.

They ended up in the infirmary first. Her dress was pulled off and Vlad checked her over thoroughly for broken bones and concussion. His fingers pressed into her bare skin but he didn't take advantage of her. At least for now. She got a moment to wash the rest of the blood from her mouth and her cuts were disinfected, leaving only the matter of the dried mud, cow spit and other extras that needed to be purged.

Vlad led his captive to the nearby bathroom. He turned on the water in the tub, removing his jacket and his vest. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past the elbows and his ponytail tightened.

He lowered her freezing body into the steaming waters. She shivered but didn't react, rather she simply stared wherever her face was pointed. He allowed her to pout for now as he took the soft washcloth and dipped it in the hot water before running it over her slumped shoulders. "I wish you'd stop provoking me," he lamented. "I'm not used to keeping myself under control while being so thoroughly..." He couldn't find the right words and so began again. "So soon after you begin winning my trust you go and run away. I still don't understand why."

Danny shifted in the tub, allowing Vlad to wash her. She was rather sick of being coated in dirt. Her head rested against the rim of the tub. She was so exhausted she couldn't even feel, not even in the face of her captor's words. Maybe this was a moment to talk then, a moment without yelling or punching. Danny turned and looked at him. "You know better than anyone why I can't stop, Vlad. If I stop fighting for my freedom what do I have left?" She sighed deeply. "You keep forgetting I'm here against my will and if I forget that to..."

Vlad drew his fingers under her chin and gently pulled her face so she looked at him. He gave her a sad smile. "Would that be so terrible, to forget?" he asked. "So little of our lives is presented as a choice. I know you didn't choose this. You wouldn't have chosen this if you were given the chance. But my dear, I would not have chosen this either."

He ran his fingers down her neck, inwardly wincing at the bruises forming there. He did that to her. No. No reason to dwell on it. All he could do was try and make it up to her. Perhaps she would forgive him. He reached for a bottle of shower gel, a soft lavender scenting the room as he worked a lather and began to gently scrub the grime and cow from her skin. To wash away the feel of her monster.

Danny let him take her arm, offering body parts as he asked for them. She tried her best to stay calm; yelling had gotten her nowhere at all. She shook her head and frowned at Vlad, sighing deeply. "I don't believe you. Not one bit. You had plenty of choices. You decided you wanted this, you chose to kidnap me, you chose to hold me down against my will and-" She cut herself off before she could finish that, crossing her legs under the water. "There was nothing forcing your hand here. You've just convinced yourself there was so you can sleep at night. Your plan to have children only matters to one person: you. Everything about this shows what a self-absorbed..." She took another deep breath. She was trying to be diplomatic and that meant no insults. "If you're not ready to deal with the consciences of your actions that's your own fault."

"You don't believe me because you've never had the opportunity to make a choice in your life," Vlad said. "All I've done is called attention to your eternal captivity by telling you about it. You were content thinking you had some measure of control over any point of your life, from your friends to your ghost powers to your dating life to your constant academic disappointments. You didn't choose a single one."

He ran the washcloth down her front, stopping to massage her breasts under the pretense of cleaning them. And then further down to her belly where he gave up pretending and just held his hand there. If she wasn't lying, if she wasn't mistaken, then... He sighed then went back to his task.

Danny's breathing hitched as the hand scrubbed the inside of her thighs. _Please don't... please..._ She looked away in disgust and held her breath as his fingers brushed over her slit. Thankfully he moved on quickly, although her relief was muted by the fact that he just moved to her backside.

She rested her head on the tub, her voice taking on a sarcastic edge. "You could have always tried being nice to me," she said. "You know, how normal people attract another person? Sure it was a long shot but did you have to jump to rape as the only option?"

"Given our past and my age, yes, I did," Vlad admitted rather bluntly. "Kindness would have at best gotten me invited back to your father's Superbowl parties. Traditional wooing would have required your willingness to accept. Can you honestly say you would have been willing?" He shook his head as he drew the washcloth down her legs, finally getting to the worst of the grime. He turned the water back on, the splashing filling their ears as he grabbed a foot and gently brought it up under the stream of water so he could scrub her properly. Slowly but surely Vlad got her cleaned up. Conversation ceased for a moment as the last traces of her escape were washed away.

She heard the pop of a bottle being opened behind her and then lemon scented shampoo was massaged into her hair. Vlad drew his fingers through her tangled locks, picking out a few pieces of straw. Danny planted her shoulders against the tub and closed her eyes. "So if you didn't think I would accept you under ideal circumstances then why do you expect me to yield to you after all the horrible things you've done?"

Vlad gently soaped her hair, rubbing his fingertips all over her scalp. He tilted her head back so the suds wouldn't drip into her eyes. A faint smile graced his face as he worked, as he ran his hands through her hair and down her neck, massaging away tangles, dirt, and tension. "Because, my dear, you have always yielded when faced with a decision you did not choose."

"Have I?" Danny asked softly. "I always thought I was stronger than that."

Vlad took hold of the detachable sprayer and switched it on. "Strength does not stem from denying the choices made for us," he said. "Strength and grace are dictated by how we respond to decisions made."

Warm water flowed down the back of her head and Danny closed her eyes, feeling the shampoo wash out of her hair and down her back. The conversation wasn't going the way she had hoped it would. She hadn't been expecting a change of heart but she had been hoping for some sanity, some reason why Vlad was putting her through this. So far she had only gotten vague allusions and insistence that it wasn't up to him. If she ever needed proof Vlad was off the deep end this was it.

The flow of water moved again and the hands returned to her shoulders. His thumbs dug into the muscles of her neck and drew an involuntary sigh from her lips. "I won't be trying to escape anymore," she said. "I'm letting you know that. Even if you won't believe me… but I do want you to know it's not because I'm yielding to you."

Vlad turned off the water and let his hands begin to ease the knots of tension in her shoulders. So the girl was claiming she wouldn't attempt escape. He wasn't sure he could trust that. Sure, she might mean what she said, she might even believe it, but he did not doubt that if the opportunity presented itself she would attempt to take it before she even knew what she was doing. Therefore he simply had to make sure she was never faced with that opportunity again.

Danny pulled away from Vlad; she was clean enough for the moment and didn't want to extend the time his hands were on her. Her fingers tightened around the tub. The bath had allowed her to think, to reevaluate her situation. Things had changed last night and then changed again in the tower. Years of being a hero meant she was used to taking on responsibility like this. "I've decided I don't trust you not to murder us in a fit of blind rage if I run," she said. "And by us I mean me and the baby. I don't care what you do to me but now it's not just about you and me anymore." She stood up, her bare body dripped with cooling water. Her eyes were serious enough to belong to a judge in a courtroom. "I owe it to her... or him. They didn't ask for this anymore than I did. I know it's still too early to count on anything but... If I'm still pregnant I won't run from you."

It wasn't a true acceptance. She was once again bowing to the choices of others. Her hero complex would allow her no other option. "Very well," he said. He would accept her reasoning so long as she kept to it. He would not stand for hypocrisy. He stepped toward her, grasping one hand and bringing it to his lips.

Danny let her eyes fall to the floor, her chest falling along with her shoulders. His kisses trailed up her arm to her shoulder. She whined softly and shrugged him off, taking his hands in hers instead. "If you're capable of love, Vlad, I hope you love this child. They didn't deserve this." She shivered, using the cold air as an excuse. "Can I have some clothes now, please?"

Vlad pulled away from her and presented her with a fuzzy bathrobe. "This will have to do for now," he said. It would keep her warm enough but didn't really count as clothing, something he didn't really have prepared for her. Not while the servants were systematically fixing, repairing, cleaning, and laundering her room and everything in it. He slid the soft terrycloth up her arms, settling it on her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as he belted the robe around her belly. His hands lingered at her waist, imagining how it would look in a few months. He smiled softly and kissed the side of her neck.

Danny had grown used enough to Vlad's affection that it no longer caused her to feel ill when he kissed her. She would stick to her commitment whatever it took. Even if that meant no more punching Vlad in the face or trying to stab him with pens.

He moved up to her ear and purred softly into it. She took a step back and ended up bumping into him. The warm robe was a poor defense against wandering fingers. To Vlad it felt like she was stepping back into his embrace, leaning against his chest. His arms tightened around her before she could pull away, wanting to feel her body pressed against his without the burden of having to perform sexually preventing him from simply enjoying her. Even through the robe she was small, thin, muscular. Not so skinny anymore, not with the regular feedings he'd been making sure she partook in, but still far too thin to properly mother anything.

His hands went down to her belly. One slipped inside the robe to splay across her lower tummy, still so flat and muscular. "We should make sure," he whispered. "And your wounds need proper binding. You have some lovely scars, my dear, but you don't need any more."

Danny gasped and bit her lip. She leaned back into him. All this attention towards her belly was making her more sensitive to how the area was touched. "Go ahead," she allowed. "I'm not mistaken. Then again, why would you trust me?" She ignored the comment about her scars but he did have a valid point.

She let him have her hand again and walk her down the hallway back to the infirmary. She didn't look at the nursery as she passed it. She kept her eyes closed until she heard the door shut behind her.

First Vlad slid the robe off of her shoulders, pulling her arms out. He allowed her modesty, let her keep herself covered by the soft fuzzy cloth. He tied off one arm and found a vein, drawing blood with a fresh needle. He set up the test and pipetted a few drops of her blood into the proper well. Now there was nothing to do but wait.

He turned back to her and started to tend to her wounds. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said. Sorry she provoked him and got herself hurt for her troubles. But he couldn't tell her that. Asking, begging her not to provoke him hadn't yet seemed to stop her drive, her need to do exactly that. He wondered how long she would have that need, if it would ever fade away.

Danny pulled her legs up and lay back on the examination table, crossing her arms over her chest and sighing. "I think we will both be very sorry by the end of this," she muttered, closing her eyes. This wasn't the nicest place to sleep but it was still better than having to look at Vlad. She wanted her freedom back so badly. She wanted her normal life back. Being half ghost had left her with so little of it and now with Vlad's help it had taken everything. She covered her eyes with her hands and rolled over again, biting back her feelings hard. Two days down, nine months to go.

The test didn't beep or blink or anything to tell Vlad it was ready to be read. It simply reacted, a control dot forming as the test indicated it was working. And then the second dot formed as chemicals quietly reacted.

Meanwhile, she was fairly scratched up. Tiny butterfly bandages held together a long cut on her arm before he gently wrapped it in gauze. He ran his hands up her arms and legs, checked her spine, her belly, even the inside of her mouth. She'd bitten her tongue pretty badly but it didn't look like she needed stitches, thankfully. Still, she'd need to be careful for the next few days to let it heal. He told her this before glancing over to check the test.

He went dead still when he saw the results. And then he wrapped her in his arms as he laughed and laughed. Happily. Gleefully. Genuinely.

He was going to be a father.


	6. Cows in the Field

Co-written between Tangerine Catnip and NebulousMistress

This story deals with some very harsh themes. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and graphic rape with the goal being forced pregnancy. Whether or not you consider this chapter to be rape-free... Well... Dubious-con hate!sex to be sure...

* * *

Danny awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright as her world spun on its axis. She felt like she was going to puke. She wrapped her arms over her belly and shot from the bed, fleeing to the bathroom just in time. There wasn't much for her body to purge and a few moments later she got shakily to her feet. She caught a glance at herself in the mirror as she washed her mouth out at the sink, rinsing out the taste of bile. Her bedhead didn't at all match the fine silk nightgown she wore, the one that Vlad insisted wasn't see-though despite the fact that she could clearly see the swell of her breasts and the curve of her hips. She sighed deeply and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was morning, might as well get ready for another day.

She bypassed the scale near the doorway; she didn't feel like weighing herself today. So far she'd gained ten pounds at the behest of Vlad overloading her plate at every meal. Sometimes she felt bad about all the food he was making her eat but if her figure was going to be altered anyway there was no reason she shouldn't enjoy the ride.

She plucked a chocolate truffle from the serving dish on her dresser, chewing it to rid herself of the foul taste in her mouth. There was never a shortage of sweets in her room though she never saw anyone come in and leave them. Same with the fresh-cut tropical flowers in a crystal vase on her nightstand that filled the room with the scent of her favorite greenhouse.

Danny walked over to the balcony, nearly tripping over a pile of books stacked next to the sofa. There wasn't room on the shelves anymore, not with Vlad's nearly constant gifts of new books along with the ones she 'borrowed' from the library downstairs. They were the only kind of clutter she was allowed to keep so she kept as much of it as she could. They gave the room a much-needed lived-in feel. There were even books stacked against the fireplace, or rather the iron bars. The fireplace was gated and locked now, shut with a thick ghost-proof lock and bars over the top of the chimney. Vlad wasn't taking any more chances regardless of her word.

Both hands gripped the handles of the balcony windows and she stepped out into the cold November air. It was hard for her to believe; just over two months ago she'd been captured and brought to this room. The trees were starting to lose their leaves and frost clung to the banister she gripped as she stepped into the crisp morning air.

Vlad would be by soon to wake her but for now at least she could enjoy this peaceful morning.

* * *

Vlad yawned as he nursed his second cup of coffee. He was awake and exhausted, both and neither. He was not sleeping as well as he should. His dreams were getting downright morbid as of late and it was keeping him from fully resting. Burying himself in work helped but the crick he got in his neck when he inevitably fell asleep on the desk did not.

The clock on the wall chimed the hour. Vlad glared at it and finished his cup. It was time to wake Daniella from her slumber. Or more likely find her awake and in the bathroom again. One benefit of morning sickness was the fact that she no longer had the urge to sleep in as she once had.

The mornings were growing cold. He had half a mind to start locking her balcony window if only to keep the cold outside. Perhaps he would bring up the possibility. He didn't know enough about her icy ghost nature to presume whether she had a physical need for the cold or not. Regardless it was time to move the ghost-proof grate in her fireplace up into the flue. She was more likely to remain warm if her fireplace were used for its intended purpose.

He came to her bedroom door. He took down the ghost shield and stepped inside. A moment of panic gripped him when he didn't see her in bed, didn't hear her retching in the bathroom. That panic lessened only slightly when he found her on the balcony. And the ghost shield was down... He went outside and wrapped his arms around her. He was definitely bringing up the idea of locking this damned window.

A soft sigh and Danny sunk back into Vlad's arms, letting him pull her away from the balcony. "Good morning to you, too," she muttered as Vlad pulled her inside and closed the window. She wiggled from his embrace and sat down on the bed, gesturing for him to join her. She wanted to talk before the day started and she didn't feel like eating breakfast just yet. Her tummy wasn't quite settled. She watched him carefully, noting the dark lines under his eyes. Maybe it was just part of getting old, regardless she was sure Vlad would find some way to handle it. He always looked out for himself.

Vlad took the same moment to look her over as well. She still looked a little green around the gills. Either she hadn't entirely recovered from morning sickness or this was a good day and mere nausea was all she would have to deal with. Definitely a day to delay the morning meal for an hour or so.

"You mentioned a surprise last night. Are you going to tell me what it is now?" she asked, unaware of the silent understanding they'd reached.

"I'd rather show you," Vlad said. "If you'd like I can show you before breakfast." He gestured to her dresser. "Make sure you dress warmly, the grounds are still covered in frost."

Danny frowned. "Are you going to stay and watch again?" she asked dryly. She walked over to her dresser. She reached in and haphazardly pulled out some cashmere sweaters, tossing them to the bed. They were soon joined by a long fur-lined dress and matching coat.

Vlad licked his lips as she bounced around the room. He couldn't deny he wanted to stay and watch. Even after only two short months her angles had begun to soften into pleasing curves. It was nothing compared to what was to come but he still liked looking at her, marvelling at how far she'd come already. That and by seeing her he could assure himself that she was still here, still safe. That his dreams were nothing but. Still, he made a show of turning his back to her. The fact that he could now watch her in the mirror was not lost on him; in fact it was half the point.

Danny wasn't exactly impressed by the effort but she guess it would have to do. She sighed and pulled her nightgown over her head, the thin yet oddly warm fabric sliding off easily, leaving her bare. She took the dress and ruffled it out. She knew from experience that she had to put these things on in a particular way or risk getting tangled in it. She did not need to get Vlad to help untangle her today; not the best experience to start the day with. She placed the dress on the floor, bending over to make sure everything was in place so she could just step into it. Her back was to Vlad at the moment so she didn't notice how her open legs and the angle of the mirror was giving Vlad a bit of a show.

Oh my. Bent over like this with her back to him... Vlad had quite the lovely view. His breath hitched and a soft purr caught her attention as she stood up quickly. He gave her an appreciative glance via the mirror. A faint blush graced her cheeks. As she turned around Vlad could see that same blush on those cheeks, too.

Danny shook her head as she hurriedly pulled on and buttoned up her dress. Since her pregnancy had been proven Vlad hadn't tied her down again for sex. She wasn't sure why but she sure has hell knew that Vlad's attraction to her was nowhere near fading. It was only a question of when his touching, cuddling, and ogling escalated to something more. She pulled on one of the sweaters from the pile on the bed, finishing with some warm stockings to keep her legs warm.

Vlad sighed. All too soon she was dressed and ready. Ah well, at least he still had that lovely image she had given him. She knew the mirror was there, she was the one to bend over specifically for it, she was as much a willing part as he was an eager observer. Perhaps the break from his affections was starting to affect her if she had taken to teasing him so readily. He brought his arm up for her to take. "Shall we?" he asked.

Danny nodded and took his arm, grabbing some mittens on her way out and pulling them on as they walked along the hallway and down the steps to the front door. Danny stopped on the last step and settled down on it, resting her head in her gloved hand as she waited for Vlad to get his cloak. He was very particular about how much cold he would stand and needed a few minutes to prepare himself. It would probably be even worse when winter came around for real. When he looked about ready she got up and slipped on the heeled boots Vlad had picked out especially for her. She relaxed her shoulders and took her captor's arm as he undid the locks on the door one by one. Slowly it creaked open and Danny all but pulled the Vlad into the fresh air. She took a deep breath and cuddled back into her sweater tasting the difference between her warm body and the cool air.

"So which way are we going?" she asked.

Vlad pointed to the new building on the grounds, a building which he had adamantly refused to paint red and white despite insistence from... certain parties. It was a nice little walk to get there, the frost crunching under their boots as they passed fields of drooping, drying grasses and dying vines. The few trees dotting their path stood bright in their autumn colors. If he had the equipment and the inclination it would be about the right time to mow hay. The local farmers had already begun.

Vlad shivered under his fur cloak. The finer furs were only so warm. In a few weeks he would be forced to put away his mink and trade it for something more substantial. He had a nice wolf fur cloak in the cloakroom awaiting winter.

"I know you're lonely here," Vlad began, his breath clouding in front of him. "I'm not always the best of company and most of the other ghosts aren't exactly... talkative."

Danny snorted. He was putting it lightly. The ghost servants that drifted around the castle practically radiated an aura of 'do not disturb'. Even when she did think of something to say it died on her lips as soon as one wandered near, even when the ghost was lucky enough to have a mouth in the first place. "Just a little bit," she admitted. "Sometimes I think if it weren't for the books I'd forget how humans talk." She looked down at the gravel path, reminding herself to never show weakness in front of Vlad. "I hope you're not keeping some kidnapped friends for me in there."

"Of course not," Vlad assured. "Too risky. There's no guarantee you'd like each other." He stopped himself from saying someone kidnapped to be her friend might eventually be missed. It wouldn't do to mention that, not when her own family blissfully went on with their own lives. He cleared his throat. "No, I bought this one," he said. "Although I admit he probably won't be much of a conversationalist." They came to the side door of the barn and Vlad pushed it open.

Empty stalls stood against the sides of the barn, their floors lightly strewn with straw to keep out the cold. Danny raised an eyebrow, looking at Vlad before releasing his arm and waking into the middle of the barn. Her feet shuffled the straw about as she took a look around. "You built a barn?" she asked slowly, stopping to touch one of the stalls as if making sure it was actually real. "Why the heck would-" Her sentence was interrupted by a 'moo' from behind her. She turned and took a step back, finding herself looking into the eyes of a cow. It stood taller than her hip when it greeted her, sniffing at her skirt. "You bought a cow?" she asked slowly, bending down to pet the creature while keeping her eyes fixed on Vlad.

"I did," Vlad said. He watched as the calf sniffed at her skirts and licked at her sweater, mooing plaintively. "He's yours, if you'd like. You'll be able to come out here whenever you wish to feed him, groom him, let him keep you company. I'm sure he wouldn't mind, either." The calf mooed again and licked up his own nose. Ugh. There was a reason why Vlad didn't like cows. Disgusting creatures. This wasn't his idea. But if it helped her...

Danny cupped the bull's angular face in her hands. "This is because of what happened with the cows, isn't it?" she asked. "You decided I might like one." She shook her head and sighed. God, he was such a screwball sometimes. What was she even going to do with a cow?

The hand on his nose suddenly disappeared and Danny nearly jumped as the bull sucked on her palm. "Ahh! Umm… hello to you too?" She tried to pull her hand back but it seemed a lost cause. She patted him on the head. "I suppose you need a name don't you?"

The cow didn't answer her, preferring to suck on her hand instead. "How about..." She paused, wracking her brain. She ran thought a few options, mouthing the names silently to see how they felt in her mouth. Then finally... "I think I'll name him Theodore," she decided, scratching behind the bulls floppy ears.

Theodore sucked on her hand, disappointed that nothing came out of it. He was hungry. He hadn't eaten in... hours. He mooed, demanding someone hurry up with his breakfast.

Vlad laid his hand on her shoulder. "Do you like him?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. He knew she was lonely and all that moping around the house couldn't be good for the baby. She needed the chance to go outside but he couldn't risk her wandering around, idly looking for another escape route. If she had some reason to stay, something to keep her company, keep her busy, then maybe he could learn to trust her outside unsupervised.

Danny pulled a face; this wasn't exactly a gift she could love or hate. She knew full well Vlad wanted her to take care of this little one. Maybe he thought it would be good mothering experience. It was quite clear to her that this gift was more for his peace of mind than for her. But on the other hand it wasn't like she didn't have the free time to hang out with a cow. And he sure as heck looked like better company than she'd been dealing with of late. The barn felt warm and cozy and it was nice to be somewhere that wasn't her room...

"Yes... I like him," she decided, smiling as Theodore released her sticky hand. "We should feed him before he tries to eat me again. Do I just give him milk?"

"There's storage over here," Vlad said, gesturing. "He takes at least three two-quart bottles a day. I don't expect you'll want to be the only one to take care of him as it is a lot of work. He'll just drink milk for a few months and then we can start getting him weaned." As ordered his staff had moved one bottle out of the fridge and heated it, putting it into storage while Vlad brought Daniella out here for her surprise. He idly wondered how many dresses of hers this bull would end up eating once he'd been weaned.

Danny followed his gesture, pulling away from Theodore to go fetch his bottle. No sooner had her hands wrapped around the bottle than the cow started mooing loudly, pawing at the floor. She shook her head and knelt down, letting the bull lean against her as she held the bottle upside-down for him. She used one hand to hold his head still as he sucked hungrily on the rubber teat. They rocked a little bit as Danny tried to keep her balance with an excitable Theodore leaning into her. "I think I saw someone do this on TV once," she said, mostly to herself. "Though it looked much easier when the farmer did it."

"Usually by this age calves are taught how to drink from a bucket," Vlad said. "This one has not been. He was already in a veal crate by the time I approached the breeder." He leaned against the side of the stall, hands in his pockets. "You could do so, if you so wish. It's really rather simple, so long as you're not adverse to getting your hand sucked on."

Danny tilted the bottle up a little further, keeping the supply of milk flowing. "I'll take him his next meal in a bucket then," she said. "Don't want to overfeed him, he might end up fat like me."

Slowly but surely the bottle was emptied. Danny almost didn't notice that it was running dry, she was busy thinking about Vlad saving this little guy from a slaughterhouse. Poor baby. This must be why Sam was a vegetarian.

The bottle popped from Theodore's mouth and Danny put it on the floor. She stopped to nuzzle his face, letting herself indulge in his cuteness for a moment before standing up again. "Speaking of fat, I think it's time we had our breakfast too." She brushed the hay off her dress and nudged Vlad with her shoulder.

Theodore walked up behind her and nudged her as well. "Don't worry, boy, I'll be back soon," she promised, giving him another pat on the head. The cow bleated as the barn door closed, as Vlad led Danny out into the frosted morning.

Vlad slid an arm around her waist as he led her back to the castle. "You can come out here whenever you wish," he said. "Though I would prefer you restrict your visits to the daytime hours. I'm sure little, ah, 'Theodore' will be able to sleep through the night on his own."

Sooner than Danny would have liked the doors of the castle where shut behind her again. She walked with him back up the steps, not bothering to look anywhere but forward. Not allowed out at night, hm? Probably because It was easier for him to keep an eye on her from his window. And easier for the guards to track her down if she made a break for it. "Still worried that I'll run away, Vlad?" Danny asked, pressing herself closer to the elder. "Now why on earth would I want to do a thing like that?"

"Because you already have," Vlad said quietly. He attempted to keep his voice carefully neutral but a note of sadness still came through. Her escape attempt still haunted him in the form of dreams. It was taking every ounce of willpower he had to allow her even this much freedom but he had to. Because she needed it and if she could prove herself then maybe... Maybe the dreams would stop.

Danny could sense she had struck a blow but it didn't feel as rewarding as usual. He did go to all the trouble of getting her a cow even though she hadn't exactly asked for one. That was Vlad, though, completely considerate of her feelings as long as they fit into his master plan. Over the last few months she had made many guesses about how much Vlad cared for her but it was impossible to tell what was done out of compassion and what was done in pursuit of his goals.

Poor twisted fruitloop. If only he hadn't dragged her down with him she might have felt sorry for him. She let go of his arm and walked to her seat. The leg cuff was still there for the days when she was feeling spiteful. Even with her promise to stay, not putting up a fight was unthinkable. So long as she didn't push him to hard...

Vlad accepted another cup of coffee from the spectral servant serving them. Their breakfasts were served. Vlad contented himself with a three egg omelet and some sausage links while her breakfast was more than a little ornate. First a sweet danish with a glass of fruit juice to whet her appetite. Then an omelet with cheese and plenty of vegetables, buttered toast and hash browns. Foods carefully chosen to avoid aggravating her morning sickness in addition to keeping within her ever changing preferences.

Danny sighed as the table was set, glaring up at Vlad. "Okay… now that we're sitting down I need you to tell me something."

"What did you want to know?" Vlad asked.

Danny dug her fork into her omelet, deciding today was a day to be rude. "Why did you get me a cow?" she asked flatly, talking while she chewed. She let her question sink in before adding to it. "And don't say 'because I thought you would like it' or 'because you were lonely'. You could have easily gotten me a cat or a puppy like any perfectly sane creepy old guy. Even the irony of it being a cow isn't worth building a barn in the backyard. So there has to be another reason why you decided on a cow."

Vlad nodded at her question. It was an uncomfortable one but nowhere near as bad as it could have been. "Because it wasn't my idea," he said. He sat back in his chair and sipped his cup of coffee, both to buy time and to hope that she would accept that as an explanation.

Danny raised an eyebrow, putting her fork down. "If it's not your idea then whose was it? We're alone in this castle." She looked around, half expecting someone to jump from the walls. She wiggled in her seat, making the wood creak. Then she fixed her gaze back on Vlad. "You're not posting about this someplace, are you? Like a fetish site for creepy old men who brag about keeping woman in their basements?" It was a ridiculous statement but she wouldn't have put it past him.

"You have the strangest ideas," Vlad said. He sighed and put down his cup. Very well then. He figured he should tell her at some point..."For a hundred years my family has been involved in the dairy business," he said. "Crazy, the whole lot of them. I... got out of that business much to the chagrin of my family. I would have been quite shunned were it not for the fact that when I left I took the business with me. You see, I bought the whole thing out from under them all and destroyed it. Trust me, my dear, they deserved it. You would never meet a more shrewd harpy of a woman than my mother. The only one with any redeeming qualities was my uncle and, well... Anyway, he was not in a position to get in my way and therefore he chose not to try.

"Ever since then cows have hated me," he continued. "My uncle's influence, no doubt. He's warned them, warned them all. They've never done a single thing to aid me until a few months ago when you were found safe and sound surrounded by a herd of cows, of all things. I spoke to my uncle about it, had him explain it to me. He approves of you, my dear Daniella. He wanted to make sure you stayed safe while I came to fetch you. Of course, in return it's been, ah, suggested that I get back into the dairy business. This cow is going to be the bull for the herd."

"The cows?" Danny asked slowly, trying to piece things together. "The cows have hated you..." She paused to let things sink in, trying to separate the crazy from what Vlad had told her. "So you're planning on starting a farm?" she asked, starting with the basics. "But if you destroyed the dairy once... Why start it up again?"

Vlad groaned, his hand going up to pinch the bridge of his nose. The idea of restarting the dairy was not an appealing one. "That's the part that isn't my idea," he said. "But my uncle says it's the least I can do in return for his part in keeping you safe." He was hit with the image of himself leading a bull around by a rope tied loosely around its neck, his young son riding on the animal's back. The boy kept kicking the bull in the ribs, trying to get it to go faster. Rather than obey the squealing and kicking of a toddler the bull merely gave Vlad a long-suffering look. It was a very odd vision.

Danny nodded, deciding it was easier to just go with Vlad on this one. Aggravating his brand of crazy usually didn't lead to anything good. She looked down at her plate. Surely he wasn't implying that her disastrous nap in a field was premeditated by something or someone; it was just too weird.

"So this uncle… Do I ever get to meet him?" she asked, hoping this question would force Vlad to make any kind of sense.

"You already have," Vlad said. He picked up his fork, hoping he could get back to his breakfast. "Of course you were much younger then. He was quite taken with your particular brand of heroic zeal. On the other hand he was not impressed by the prejudices ingrained into you by your parents." He took a bite of fluffy omelet, mopping up the oozing cheese with a bite of sausage. He did not relish telling her, hoping she would figure it out herself. Preferably when Vlad was locked in his office where he couldn't hear her laughing at him.

"Right..." Danny went back to her breakfast. Her fork and knife clicked softly against the plat as they ate in silence, Danny's brain turning ideas and thoughts over and over as she chewed. She didn't want this talk to be over, not just yet. She had a feeling she might be tapping into something important, something that would help her, or at the very least something to decode Vlad's crazy enough to know why he was putting her through all this. "So was your family really that awful?" she asked, sounding perfectly innocent. She gave Vlad her best 'interested' face.

"They were old money," Vlad said. "Or as 'old money' as Wisconsin dairy royalty can really be." He paused and tried not to groan as he realized what he'd just said. He ignored his slip and went on. "They despised new ideas. I happened to favor new ideas, and not just about cows. Science, ghosts, economics, all sorts of new ideas that made me my uncle's favorite and pariah to everyone else. So when the fortune went to me upon my uncle's death my family tried endlessly to mold me into a proper family patriarch. None of my ideas were good enough, nothing I'd experienced had any meaning to them, nothing I'd ever seen or done had any worth to them. So I invested on the side, built VladCo, and then made sure my family could never hurt me again." Vlad put his fork down. Suddenly... he wasn't hungry. He sat back and wished he had a shot of something for his coffee.

Danny wasn't quite following the bouncing ball. She could tell that Vlad had fallen out with his family hard, though and she hoped that he hadn't gotten rid of them in the permanent sense. She could never be sure with Vlad. "So is this before or after my dad gave you ghost powers and you turned into a power-mad fruitcake?"

"After," Vlad admitted. He growled at himself, not wanting to remember what they would say, what his mother would do... "Let's discuss something else," he snapped. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Nothing," Danny said flatly. "Just like yesterday. And the day before that and the day before that and pretty much every day for the last two months and every day going forward from this point." She huffed and crossed her arms. "Doing nothing is part of being held captive, you know. If you hate your family so much then why are you so keen to start one?" She refused to let Vlad change the subject just yet, especially if it annoyed him.

Vlad frowned. Well then. A battle of words was still a battle and like all his fights with her he intended to win. "Because I'm better than them," he said. "Because I refuse to let their influence frighten me into becoming what they always saw me as." And because he was tired of being alone, but he didn't feel the need to share that with her.

Danny opened her mouth, and then closed it. What was she even doing? She wasn't going to get anything but bat-shit reasoning and dull rage from him. "Damn it, Vlad," she growled. "Showing up your family is not a good reason for starting a new one. Do you even have the slightest clue what you're doing? Because the longer I stay here the crazier you get and I'm really starting to hope that crazy isn't genetic and I'm really not sure what's even going on anymore! And now you're taking about dead uncles that can control cows!" She was losing it, she could feel it. It was probably a mood swing but she was too upset to try to pull herself back. She swore angrily and kicked the underside of the table. The silverware clattered and she kicked again. This time the chair fell backwards, taking her with it. The world spun and she ended up in a heap on the floor with the chair on top of her.

Vlad shot past his feet, giving up his humanity before he realized she was okay. Annoyed but uninjured. He landed next to her prone form, black boots and swishing cape gleaming next to her splayed black hair. He wrapped his consciousness around the chair and lifted it, tossing it away. Red eyes looked down at her. "Why do most people have children?" he asked. "By accident? Out of loneliness? To patch together a failing marriage? Compared to those most mundane of reasons, does 'because I can do better' really sound so wrong? I will love our children with all my heart, Daniella. I will make sure they want for nothing, that they have every opportunity to do and be and become. That's certainly more than you've been willing to pledge."

Danny rolled over onto her knees. She'd had this argument with him before and it no longer upset her; she just wanted to hit something. A fight might make her feel better about this whole mess. Her chest heaved and she glared up into his eyes. "Don't you even start!" she snapped. "You're not the one who has to sit around getting fat, throwing up every morning because of the fucking parasite growing inside you!" Hormones and frustration took her control from her and white rings flashed brightly. The transformation felt almost lacking without her usual battle cry of "going ghost".

Without warning she kicked off from the floor and launched herself at her halfa counterpart. She wasn't thinking straight enough for a proper attack. She simply latched on to him, her fingers tangling in his cape as she clawed at him. Her teeth found their way to his shoulder and she bit down hard, hissing like an angry beast.

Vlad was thrown to the ground by her attack out of surprise more than anything. An ectoblast, he would lead her to the skies and let her chase him, blow off steam under the eaves of the ghost shield keeping her imprisoned. If she came up with some other more exotic ghost power he had contingency plans for that as well. But a physical attack? One where she was tearing at his clothes and biting into his shoulder? His first reaction was arousal. His second didn't help his first in any way as he threw his weight around, pinning her to the floor with his body. He grabbed her wrists, slamming them to the floor.

Now why hadn't he thought of having her in ghost form? She was rather beautiful like this. He ground his hips against hers as he lay on top of her.

Danny's green eyes flashed brightly as she pulled against the arms pinning her down. She could have just phased through the floor but the idea never occurred to her. She was too busy looking up into those deep red eyes. Anger burned in her chest and she bared her teeth, her breath hitching as Vlad rocked against her. Her hands glowed white, spreading ice down her wrists until Vlad was forced to release her. He pulled away with a hiss and she grasped the front of his suit pulling on it hard enough to rip the fabric. She pulled the rip open, exposing his chest from his neck to his belt.

Vlad's chest looked different in his ghost form, the same structure but so much more powerful. It was so different from her own lean form, padded as it was by months of rich food. Icy cold hands explored his chest, tracing the musculature. Vlad arched into the touch, a soft purr rushing past his fangs as a nearly imperceptible hiss. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to feel her crushed against him. His lips went to her neck, scalding hot hissing against frozen skin as he pressed melted kisses behind her ear. He pulled at her jumpsuit, seeking its closures. He found the zipper at her throat and pulled, drawing it down her chest. He reached in, grasping a newly freed breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple.

Danny's shoulders dug into the carpet of the dining room. Breakfast was long forgotten as Vlad's gloved hands cupped her breasts. His hot fingers rubbed soft flesh and Danny closed her eyes, trying to distance herself from the feeling. She couldn't ignore it, though. The intimate touch felt good everywhere but in her head and when his thumb brushed her nipple she gasped, a twitch between her legs echoing the feeling.

Another finger joined the first and Vlad pitched the sensitive bud just hard enough for it to feel painful. The sharp twinge turned her on for some reason she couldn't properly identify. Her lips parted with a whining sigh as a second hand joined the first, Vlad's hungry eyes taking her in as he teased both of her nipples till they were hard and pink.

Vlad pulled the zipper down a little farther, down past her navel. He slid it off of her shoulders, running his fingers over soft skin. He kissed down her neck to her breast, swirling his tongue around an eager bud. His lips curled around it as he flicked his tongue, teasing the very tip. He pinched her other nipple as she arched into him, baring herself to his touch.

He pressed his thigh between her legs, rubbing against her sex through her clothes. Her eyes were closed as she gave herself over to pleasure. It was born of hatred and hormonal confusion but he would take it. He slid his hand down her belly, lingering over her tummy before reaching lower.

Danny pressed against him, shivering in pleasure. She whined softly as Vlad withdrew to pull her jumpsuit down her legs. His red eyes glinted as the material was pulled away and tossed aside. Her lips glistened with her arousal. Vlad leaned over the now naked body of his captive, taking hold of her thighs. She didn't resist as the elder opened her legs, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. Her eyes darted around nervously like a trapped animal. She whimpered and Vlad looked up at her.

Danny knew what was going to happen at this point and she knew that she couldn't stop it… but at the very least she wanted something soft and warm so she could pretend that she wanted this. Her hands found Vlad's cheek and she leaned up to kiss his lips. She could still taste the coffee on his tongue and she closed her eyes even tighter.

Vlad phased out of the rest of his clothing, leaving his gloves on to keep his claws sheathed. He pressed a finger into her as he kissed her, caressed her tongue with his own. Her hands didn't push him away, didn't claw at him for purchase, didn't pound or shove or hit. Instead they touched, caressed, stroked, held. It was the closest thing to approval that he would get, more than he needed. He nudged her legs apart and settled between them, thrusting into her with one smooth stroke.

It was very different this way, with her legs free. He brought her knees up to his hips, nudging her legs to wrap around his waist as he started slowly. His arms went around her, holding her close as he thrust into her, kissed down her neck. This is how it should have been from the start.

Danny bit her lip as she felt Vlad's fangs against her neck, one of her hands grasping his shoulder. She breathed in long gasps as Vlad took her. She was tired of holding still and taking it as Vlad ignored her sobs and shouts, at the very least she deserved not to have to take it lying on her back with her legs open. Not anymore. She wrapped her legs tighter around him and pushed against his chest. He growled against her neck, probably thinking she was trying to get him away.

Superhuman strength paid off and she managed to push Vlad up so she was in his lap. Her legs straddled him, her mouth falling open with a moan as he slid all the way back inside her.

Danny felt his hands grab her hips, holding her tight. She began to rock against him as she let herself get lost. Her captor was an awful human being but his ability to make her toes curl could let her overlook that for the moment.

Vlad growled again, this time in pleasure, his hands guiding her in her movements. He pulled her close, brushing her nipples against his chest with every thrust. She moaned softly, arching toward the contact. He captured her lips in a kiss, coaxing her mouth open so he could explore. His red eyes drifted shut, surrounding him in her quiet gasps and the scent of her arousal. This was so much better than taking her despite her tears. The kiss evolved, moving as he trailed wet pecks down her neck to her shoulder. He gently bit her, sucking against her skin until a mark bloomed there, a dark match to the scar he'd once left on the other side. She was his. She would remain his. But she would want it. He would make sure of that.

Danny winced at the bite. Her belly tightened, inner walls clenching around the heat inside her. The light sting of pain felt good as he fucked her. Another moan took her breath from her and Danny found herself meeting Vlad's movements, encouraging him to go faster. The sex fit her mood, angry and depraved. Vlad's tongue soothed the bite mark and slowly she felt him pull back from her shoulder.

Danny growled and shoved Vlad down to the floor, planting her legs on either side of the older man's hips. Her fingers ran down his exposed chest, his skin that odd shade of ghostly blue, then up into his demonic eyes. Her gaze slipped down and she caught a glimpse of where their bodies met, their skin tones making the penetration look even more graphic than she'd pictured. A small squeak dropped from her lips as what she was doing hit her over the back of the head.

She made to jerk away, pulling their bodies apart. She gasped as she felt his hardness slide out. Then Vlad's hands took hold of her hips, grabbing her before she could shy away from what she'd started. She could feel his claws though the gloves as they pricked at her skin, just enough of a reminder to keep her still. She whined softly, a sound that turned into a helpless moan as Vlad rubbed his shaft against her inner pussy lips, the head of his cock rubbing against her clit. Her hands went to his shoulders and she bowed her head, closing her eyes.

Vlad wasn't going to let her go. She began this, she jumped him, she was the one to rip the clothing from his body. Heck, she'd even thrown him to the floor so she could ride him harder before her mood shifted suddenly. He wasn't going to let her run away, not now, not like this. Perhaps it was the savagery of their coupling that had her scared and wide-eyed. Thus Vlad held her hips and arched into her, sliding his erection against her clit. He threw himself into a sitting position, bringing her back into straddling him as he thrust simply to give her pleasure.

Before she knew what was happening Danny was clutching at Vlad again, her body going limp in his impossibly strong arms. He slid easily against her, causing pulses of pleasure so intense she needed him to hold her still so she didn't pull away from pure reflex. The little bud was so sensitive, she shivered and her belly tightened but there was nothing to clench around now. She cursed into Vlad's ear and tilted her hips, sitting back down on his cock. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her legs around him as he slid back inside.

The hand moved from her hip and the thumb of Vlad's black glove pressed against her clit as he thrust into her. Danny gasped, bucking against him so she could feel that again. "Y-yes..." she breathed softly. "Right… there..."

Vlad buried his face in her neck as she held on for dear life as he fucked her. He fingered her clit, feeling her building pleasure in the squeeze around his cock, in the needy breaths ghosting across his skin, in the soft words she probably didn't even know she was saying. Her legs wrapped around him, her pleasure in his arms, he was so close as she arched against him, seeking his touch.

She came first, her body trembling as she arched up in Vlad's arms. She cast her eyes up, not wanting to have to look at him. Vlad pulled her hips down hard and she shivered violently as she climaxed. It was hardly the first time her archenemy had brought her down like this but this was far more intense than the guilty halfhearted pleasure she had been forced into. She was far from guiltless this time.

He came as she fluttered around him, dragging his orgasm from him as he shouted her name. He slumped down as he was spent. His hands pulled her down with him as he laid on the floor, Danny splayed out on top of his chest. He traced gentle patterns on her skin as he held her.

"I hope you come to me again when the mood strikes you," he offered, his voice dark and husky with his own pleasure. He knew that's all this was, a mood swing brought on by an angry snap. But if all of her anger dissipated in such involved ways he wouldn't mind one bit. His hands drifted down her hips, groping her ass to punctuate his offer.

Danny jolted upright in his arms, her white hair falling over her eyes before she pulled it back. She pulled away from him, shielding her bare chest with an arm but the evidence was all over her. Nothing she could do now would take that back.

Vlad pulled her back down and she didn't put up a fight this time. She was too shaken and exhausted to leave. He held her close. His body was so warm that she didn't feel cold, even without her clothes.

Slowly she began to relax. There was nowhere to run now anyway. She had been buried alive months ago; it was time to strop struggling. "I hate you," Danny murmured halfheartedly, feeling too sick with herself to even transform back.

"I know you do," Vlad said, although his indulgent tone said it all. He knew she hated him. But he also knew that he wasn't alone in her hatred. She hated herself, too, for responding to him. For slowly giving up her resistance in the face of insurmountable odds. For her loss of will, of rebellion, of her old self. She hated him because he was slowly chipping away at what once was, replacing it with what would be. Because despite her best efforts at silent resistance she was giving in. Slowly, surely, completely...

He knew she hated him. And he allowed her that hatred because it would not last forever. It would not last long at all.


	7. Royal Plans

Co-written between Tangerine Catnip and NebulousMistress

This story deals with some very harsh themes. Kidnapping, imprisonment, and graphic rape with the goal being forced pregnancy. However, this chapter is rape-free. Honestly, I think the rest of this story is _technically_ rape-free. In that Vlad would argue it's not _technically_ rape anymore...

* * *

Wham.

Wham wham. Thud.

Danny sighed and opened the door. The cold air from outside made her shiver as she frowned at the visitor who'd been pounding on the door with his head. She pulled herself up to her full height and glared at her bull. Theodore looked right back, his large white butt planted on the mat. Danny crossed her arms.

"Go back to the barn, boy," she said sternly. He didn't answer her, he just kept sitting and staring. "Come on, you'll freeze out here if you don't go back." Still not a budge. Danny sighed even louder. "Look, I've got something I want to do and it would be way easier if I didn't have to bring a cow."

Theodore made a face and an odd sound before he started chewing his cud. Danny slapped herself in the face. Ugh. She was taking to a friggin' cow. Was she really expecting him to suddenly spring up and start a conversation?

"Fine then," she said, stepping out into the snow and wrapping an arm around the bull's neck. "If you won't go back to the barn you'll have to come in here." She pulled the cow through the door, his hooves clopping on the wooden floor as he stepped into the hall. Danny let go and closed the door behind him with a slam. The air inside warmed up slowly as the cold was shut away. Danny shivered again and looked at her cow. At least now he wouldn't freeze.

It was just her luck that he would start acting oddly on the day she finally decided to do something interesting. Theodore sniffed at her and sat down again, still chewing whatever he had dragged up from his four stomachs.

Well, he could stay in the hall then. She would just tell Vlad that he refused to go back to the barn. Besides, he'd probably be so mad at her by the time the day was out he wouldn't even notice the cow in the hall. She patted him on his head.

Now that that was dealt with she figured she'd better get moving. Vlad would be back in a few hours and she wanted to have as much time as possible to find his office. She knew it was in the half of the castle she had been forbidden to enter and today she was going to find out why he didn't want her up there. If he was hiding something she needed to know. Just because she was locked up here didn't mean she could let Vlad do evil as he pleased. Besides, he might have a laptop in there and she would trade food for a week for an hour on anything electronic, even if it was just a game of minesweeper. A flash of light splashed over the walls as she transformed into her ghost form and made her way up the stairs.

"Moo." Theodore flipped his ears around, seeking an odd sound, the sound that had brought him out of the barn to see his Mama. He mooed at her, trying to see if she heard it too when it got loud and suddenly stopped. And then it changed.

Theodore blinked then flipped his ears forward, following the sounds of his Mama. "Moo." She was leaving without him, how dare she. He followed her, his hooves clopping on the floor as he went. He had to follow her, to make sure she didn't do anything wrong. It was a Need. He Needed to keep her from doing something brash and stupid.

Danny blinked as she heard the sounds behind her. Oh no… Guh, he was just like a needy puppy dog sometimes. She shot a look over her shoulder. Danny hoped the stairs would deter him but he barely paused before climbing them.

"Oh, come on!" she muttered, pouting. "I already gave you your dinner, what more do you want?"

"Moo."

Theodore climbed the steps cautiously, knowing somehow that getting down them again would be very difficult. But... if she was going to climb then he had to as well. He Needed to follow her.

He caught up to her then nuzzled her dress. She smelled good. He liked her smell. A moo rumbled in his throat. He grabbed her dress and pulled. She wasn't supposed to go this way. Her dress wasn't supposed to be this tasty.

Danny pulled her skirt out of his mouth. "No, bad boy!" she scolded. "Vlad already took away my ghost suit and this is the only dress I have left with the right colors." Danny fluffed the black and white dress, gazing down at the stitched-on copy of her personal symbol. "I have some tacky things in my closet I'll put on tomorrow, you can eat them." She patted his head then stopped. "And I'm still taking to a cow. Wonderful."

She shook her head and took flight, starting down the hallway that lead to the west wing. She turned a corner, not stopping to look at the cow trotting after her. She could hear that he was there.

The further she wandered away from her part of the castle the darker it got. Vlad must have turned off the lights before he left. Danny curled her fingers into a fist and summoned a ball of ectoenergy. Her hand began to glow, casting eerie shadows over the decor lining the walls.

Theodore trotted after her. She flew faster than she walked, not lingering in any one place for long. This was Bad. Very very Bad. He Needed to get her to stop, to go back to the ballroom or the barn or the greenhouses or the dining room or anywhere else she was allowed to go. Not here. Didn't she realize that she was kept out of this wing of the castle for a reason?!

He snorted and galloped ahead, putting himself in the way of a door. "Moo." No, don't go in here. "Moo." He gave her a stern look, his ears falling back and his tail swishing.

Danny tilted her head, looking down at her cow from where she was floating. "Oh, you want me to look in there, Theo?" she asked. He mooed at her, looking agitated. Danny shrugged. "Okay, if you insist. This is as good a place to start as any." She went intangible and floated through the door, leaving the bleating calf on the other side. As soon as she entered the room her heart skipped a beat.

Jackpot.

A plasma screen so large it would have made the old Danny green with envy was mounted across from some overstuffed leather chairs and a sofa. It wasn't a large room but that just made it feel more comfortable. There was even a bar smushed in one corner of the room, bottles of expensive looking spirits piled on top of it.

Danny went to the TV first, poking at the remote as she tried to get it working. She wanted to see the news. She felt so isolated out here; she was dying for some proof that the outside word hadn't gone away.

Try as she might, though, all she got was static. A quick inspection revealed the cable box was missing and any cables gone. She swore and threw the remote against a wall. She slumped to the sofa and covered her face with her hands. A deep breath and she looked again. At least there was a DVD player.

Outside Theodore snorted and bellowed, the sound echoing through the hallway. He stamped, tail swishing. Alerting her of places she shouldn't go was not his plan.

He laid down in front of the door. Maybe he could keep her inside the room. It wasn't very important, really. Nothing to get her into too much trouble. Unless of course she drank all the alcohol. Wait... That was a bad thing! Theodore bleated, attempting to sound scared and confused. Perhaps he could draw her out. Come here, Mama, I'm scared...

Danny had just located the cabinet of DVDs when Theodore started bleating. Her fingers twitched. She wanted to watch a movie, any movie... even one Vlad picked out. But she couldn't let him go on like that. Not only would it be distracting but he might catch the attention of one of Vlad's ghost guards. She didn't know what they would do if they caught her in here but she knew the 'I'm pregnant' reminder probably wouldn't work as well on them as it did on Vlad.

But! At least she knew where this room was. She could sneak back in here later when she didn't have a cow following her.

With a heavy sigh she floated back through the door, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around Theodore's neck. "Hushhh," she soothed. "I'm right here, now shut up before someone hears you and comes after me."

Theodore nuzzled her, sticking his snout right in-between her breasts. She smelled best here. He snuffed, both to sound contrite and comforted as to catch as much of that scent as she would allow. She could fly through doors. That meant if she wanted to she could easily fly away through the wall and leave him here all alone in the corridor. Then he wouldn't be able to keep her from getting into trouble. Therefore he needed to make sure she didn't have reason to fly away but also that she didn't forget him.

He laid his head in her lap and gazed up at her with big brown eyes.

Danny shook her head and pulled away. "Okay, you can come with me from now on. But only if you promise to be quiet." She scratched the bull behind his stubby horns and continued down the hallway to the next door on the left. If she couldn't watch a move she could at least find out what else was down here.

It turned out to be a bedroom, one that actually looked lived in. She spotted a suit hanging off a chair and realized this must be Vlad's room. Hmm… She frowned. This didn't look like the master bedroom of the castle, it was far too ordinary for that. She made her hand glow brighter as she took a quick look around. She expected a fruitloop like Vlad to sleep on five different mattresses with the pelts of lions and tigers for blankets. The bed was a king-size and had what looked like silk sheets… and yes.. a bear pelt. She smirked, feeling downright smug that she'd called it.

Theodore stood at the door, locked out again. Hmmph. She shouldn't be in that room. But at least nothing too damaging was inside. He laid down in front of the door and snuffed.

Danny kept snooping around. There was still the off chance that she might find something that would help her understand Vlad's mindset better. Questions had gotten her nowhere so it was up to her to piece this whole situation together herself. She floated over to the bed. The bed looked freshly made so there were no clues there. The bedside table had an empty glass sitting on it next to an old fashioned oil lamp and a prescription bottle. She picked up the bottle, thinking for a moment they might be anti-depressants or mood stabilizers that Vlad seemed to be forgetting to take.

"Take 2 nightly to relieve chronic insomnia," she read aloud. Danny frowned and put the bottle back. Well, this explained why Vlad seemed so listless lately.

It was a promising start. She moved to the dresser, scanning the scattered books. They were all about pregnancy. Vlad had a whole library about childbirth here. Danny clenched her fists; she wasn't sure exactly why she was mad at the sight of them but she settled on the fact that he didn't see fit to leave books like this in her room. If anyone should know what was going on it was her.

She would take one with her, then. She picked up one and tucked it under her arm. She meant to leave but then got another idea. She turned back to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Sure enough, she was greeted with the sight of row after row of designer boxer shorts and briefs.

She took out a pair of silk boxers and gave them long hard look. On the one hand she was dying to have proper underwear again. On the other hand she would be wearing something that had been on Vlad junk. Decisions, decisions... In the end it wasn't that hard to make up her mind. She hitched up her skirt and pulling on the shorts. She sighed happily; she'd almost forgotten how comfortable underpants really were. As long as she ignored who they belonged to they felt _awesome_.

Theodore mooed plaintively. He was giving up on his Need to keep her out of this wing of the castle. But maybe he could do something else... He butted the door, bleating impatiently. He had an idea. "Moo."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Danny called, walking back into the hall with the book in her arms. She looked back down the hallway and made a low sound. She couldn't check all these rooms… but then she got an idea. Theodore had found the room with the TV, maybe he could help her again.

"Okay, Theo, use your cows senses and lead me to a room with a video game console… and maybe some candy and popcorn..."

Theodore didn't know what a 'video game console' was but he had an idea. He led her down the hallway to the door at the very end of the hallway. He stood next to it and bleated quietly. He butted the door with his head. It opened with an ominous creak.

Danny looked from the door to her cow. He looked back as blank as ever. She shrugged and pressed forward, stepping into the darkness. Her green eyes shot wide open and she diverted more power to her hand. The room brightened even further, showing her that she wasn't just seeing things.

The walls were lined with paintings. On one wall, portraits, always of a man looking smug and self-important. As the portraits progressed from person to person the costume grew more and more ridiculous, ending with a fur-lined red robe, a gigantic crown made of cheese, and a sceptre topped with a gilded ice cream cone. On the other wall were paintings of those same men, each one leading a cow with a boy astride the animal like he was riding a horse.

There were also trophies, awards going back a century. County fairs, regional competitions, state fairs, national awards, little gilded statues of cows looked down on her from every angle. Danny flinched and looked back at the portraits, another flash of gold catching her eye. Each one had a brass plaque with a name and every last one ended with the surname 'Masters'.

Slowly Danny realized... Wait... She recognized one of them. That was the kindly old man who had saved her from Vlad's trap so she could rescue her father during the reunion. The Dairy King as he'd looked in life… She looked back around the room, taking in the portraits, the implications... Not the only dairy king then. Just the latest in a long line. Or maybe not the last, there was space for one more portrait at the end of the room. A blank space.

Danny had always assumed Vlad killed the Dairy King for his castle but if this was right... He'd lived here long before he ever had ghost powers. She leaned closer to the portrait to read its nameplate, the name 'Eugene Masters'. And the painting across from him, the boy laughing as he sat on the cow's back looked disturbingly familiar...

Theodore strolled in behind her. He didn't understand all the pretty pictures, not really. Although one held some resemblance to... He bleated loudly with utter joy as he felt ghostly hands appear out of nowhere to scratch him behind the horns.

"Whoa there. Whatcha doin' out of where you're supposed to be then?"

Danny fell out of the air, landing with a squeak. Her ball of light blinked out, plunging the room into a deep darkness broken only the outlines of herself and the ghost hovering over her cow. She shot to her feet, book forgotten, and readied plasma blasts.

The light from her attack faded as she recognized the ghost whose portrait she had just seen. Her mouth hung open as her cow licked the ghost's face, mooing happily. "Holy shit," she murmured.

The Dairy King floated there, his ice cream topped sceptre held askew as both his hands were currently scratching the young bull behind the horns. Bulls always made the cutest sounds when they were loved in just the right way... "Cheese logs, watch your mouth, little lady," he scolded. "Profanity curdles the milk there, dontcha know. Now then, what's a pretty little thing like you doing so far out of where he's supposed ta be? Yes, you're all da way in here, you're supposed to be in the barn where it's nice and warm."

Danny blinked in shock, her core thrumming like a race car engine. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. This was the Dairy King for heaven's sake, he wasn't going to hurt her. "I-I came because I wanted to find out about Vlad," she said, sounding as awkward as she felt. "He won't tell me anything... but... I think I found it? You two are related?" She moved over to Theodore, standing so he was placed as some sort of shield between her and the Dairy King.

The Dairy King was too preoccupied with Theodore to notice Daniella was still in the room. But he knew he had a station to hold, he had to hold it like a proper monarch. Especially for the sake of the little princess. He dragged himself away from this pretty little thing to deal with her fumbling questions. "O' course we're related, little lady," he said. "Vlad's my ever wayward nephew. It right near killed me when I heard o' his accident. Tha boy's been runnin' my dairy ever since. Runnin' it real bad there, dontcha know. Got rid a the cows an' the whole family."

Danny nodded. She'd heard that part from Vlad before. "So you're the cra-" She caught herself before she called him crazy; probably not a good idea to insult him. "Um... you're the uncle he mentioned?"

She pawed at the floor with her foot much like how Theodore did when he was nervous. Now that she had someone to answer her questions they all seemed to be falling out of her head. She looked at Theodore, looking for an idea. "I actually wanted to ask you about that," she said. "Do you know why Vlad's decided to start it up again? I mean I'm not exactly trained to take care of cows… as nice as Theodore is..."

Danny's question struck a chord with the Dairy King. He seemed to remember a conversation like this one so long ago. A woman with black hair streaked with premature white, her belly swelling with life, a bull calf laying at her feet, the same question on her lips. "Ya don't need ta know anything special for a sweet little bull like Theodore," he said. "You're perfect for raisin' him real good there. Jus' be sweet an' nice an' rub 'im behind da ears an' tell 'im he's such a sweetie. All o' my bulls were raised by hand like that, dontcha know. An' always by someone like you. Makes 'em nice an' easy ta handle. Real lovin' too. Like a big puppy. Oh, an' your pretty little babe is gonna love ridin' him around on his back like he's a fat horse!"

Danny's hand lowered to her tummy; she had a habit of doing that whenever someone mentioned her child, like she needed a reminder that it was still there and this wasn't just some very long bad dream. She had other things to think about though and he'd dodged the important part of her question. "Yes but why now? Why does he want to restart the farm after he sold everything? He is way too rich for this to be a business thing. Not to mention the fact it's in the middle of winter and there's a baby in the way. "

"Because, little lady, now's tha time!" The Dairy King spread his arms in a grand gesture, a reference to everything and everyone around him. "Now's tha perfect time ta be startin' the dairy again, dontcha know!" He then turned conspiratorial. "And I told 'im to," he whispered. "Tha boy's just as bad at readin' signs as you seem ta be. Dunno why, he's got tha gift somethin' fierce, he jus' doesn't seem ta wanna use it fer nothin' tha's nae money an' you. Well, at least you're quite tha pretty prize. I knew you'd be a pretty little lady when I firs' saw you, dontcha know." He reached out, trailing his fingers down her cheek.

Danny flinched before she pulled away. This was getting creepy. She tried to shake thoughts of conspiracy from her head. He was just a kindly old man...right? "You… you don't mean at the reunion, do you?" she asked slowly. "When I was fourteen and I met Vlad for the first time..."

"Yea, then. Even then you were a pretty little lady. I just knew you'd be a pretty little princess for my lonely wayward nephew." The Dairy King sighed happily, looking at her as a father to a favored daughter. "He were so lonely dontcha know. And always chasin' after women far beneath'im. Never got a single little babe outta any of them tho he tried. I made sure he tried. I was just so happy when I seen you, little lady. I seen you and that you were just like my poor lonely Vladimir."

The Dairy King made a face. "An' then he had ta go wastin' the first few years chasin' your mother, dontcha know. I told 'im there weren't no reason ta wait for you ta grow up, you could grow up here with us! But no, he insisted we wait."

"He.. you.. wait... what!" The blood rushed to Danny's head and suddenly she needed to sit down. The floor served well enough. She landed on the carpet with a bump. "You.. You're a part of this? You told Vlad to..."

The light from her hands went out and she dropped her head in her hands. They had been planning this since she was fourteen. Since the day she first came in contact with Vlad. All the battles they had fought, in the back of Vlad's mind he was deciding whether or not we wanted her to…

"He wasn't lying," she realized. "This wasn't just a random desperate thing…"

Danny's brain hurt. All those years preparing for college, trying desperately to get her schoolwork done while fighting ghosts. Every day she worked and tried and strove rendered pointless by the scheming of two crackpots.

The Dairy King glanced down at young Theodore. The bull blinked then mooed, kneeling down next to Daniella and laying his head in her lap. He mooed plaintively, trying to offer comfort and solicit petting.

"Of course he wasn't lyin', dontcha know. And of course it weren't all his choice neither. No, not at all. You see, little lady, he was goin' ta be makin' someone an honest woman outta them. But what's the point if there aren't any little babes comin' outta that marriage? Love alone don't make any heirs. We're monarchs, dontcha know. Monarchs a the moo-cow, kings a cream, dukes a dairy..." The Dairy King paused for a moment. "I gotta find somethin' that starts with a 'ch' for cheese. Anyway, I'd all but given up hope for the boy until you came around. And now..." The Dairy King turned scheming red eyes onto Daniella. There was a triumph there, the triumph of a ghost in the midst of his deepest obsession. "And now you're here, little lady."

Danny's arm tightened around Theodore's neck, hard enough for him to grunt in protest. "That's what this is about isn't it?" she muttered softly, her eyes glowing hot with green energy. She stood slowly, her body shaking as she tried to come to terms with this hot scoop of crazy that had been dumped in her lap. She tossed her hair back and glared at the Dairy King. "Are you seriously telling me I was kidnapped to continue a line of Wisconsin dairy royalty!?"

"Ugh!" Her scream was powerful enough to make the floor shake. She clenched her fists, trying to calm herself enough to avoid a ghostly wail. Theodore trembled but the Dairy King looked unimpressed by her outburst.

"And you!" she shouted, teeth bared. "I thought you were just a nice old ghost but you're just as insane as everyone else! You're not even really a king! You're just a dairy farmer in a stupid hat!"

"Now see here, little lady!" the Dairy King scolded.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Vlad demanded.

Danny turned to her captor, her hand glowing brightly. She was so very tempted to send a plasma bolt right into his face. She opened her mouth to yell again but Theodore reared up and pushed her over, pinning her to the floor as he knelt down over her chest and laid his head on her belly. She struggled but she wouldn't hit her cow. Danny glared up a Vlad from the floor. The Dairy King floated near the ceiling, his arms crossed sternly.

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, glaring from Daniella to the Dairy King and back again. He wondered what he'd walked in on and if he could possibly get some sensible answers out of either of the combatants. He searched for something to say, something to ask. And yet there were far too many questions, none of which he would enjoy the answers to.

A plaintive moo and the stench of cow brought his attention. At least this was something he could address. "Would either of you mind telling me why there's a cow in the castle?" he asked, slowly and deliberately.

The Dairy King made the effort to look innocent and unknowing. Vlad glared at him. Well, that answered that...

Danny huffed from her place on the floor; she had more pressing questions than why there was a cow in the castle. "He wouldn't go back to the barn," she snapped, trying mightily to remain civil. "It was let him in or let him freeze to death. After that he kept following me." She tried to push herself up but Theo didn't budge. "If you don't mind though I'd like to know a few things about this room full of dusty old portraits and your crazy ghost uncle."

"She says it like it's a bad thing," the Dairy King huffed. "As if readin' signs ta be makin' the right decisions is a bad thing."

Vlad hid behind his hands. If he hid long enough maybe his crazy uncle would go away. It didn't work. Time for the next best thing. "Daniella... Will you come with me?" he asked. "Somewhere less..." Less crazy? Less judgemental? Less cheesy? "Less dark?"

Danny growled angrily. "I fucking swear, Vlad, I will not be your dairy maid!" She shoved Theodore away and took to the air, floating out of her cow's reach so he couldn't tackle her again. She shook her head, making for the door. "I've changed my mind, I don't care. I already know what you're going to tell me anyway. The Dairy King did a wonderful job of explaining why I need to carry on the family line. I mean what would all the cheese do without a leader?"

Vlad glared at the Dairy King as Danny stormed off down the hallway. He sighed, glared, opened his mouth and then...

"She were wanderin'," the Dairy King said. "I had ta keep watch on her, dontcha know."

Vlad growled. "I don't have time for this, Uncle," he snapped. "Just... get the cow back in the barn." And then he ran off down the hallway.

"Daniella, stop!" he shouted. "Listen to me!"

"I don't want to hear it, Vlad!" Danny picked up speed, flying down the hallway. "I get it now. This is what you meant about not having a choice. You and your uncle are absolutely insane!"

There was a flash of black light behind her and Plasmius was catching up. Danny growled and shot down the hallway at full speed, flying into the entrance hall and up to the chandelier. "I can't believe you, Vlad! You're not a king and neither was your uncle! Just because you live in this moldy old castle doesn't entitle you to anything, especially not me!" She pulled a crystal from the chandelier and threw it at him. "And I won't let you brainwash my child!"

Danny flitted through the chandelier like a ghost in the fog. Vlad took a crystal to the head, faceted glass bouncing off as he raised his arm to block the next volleys. After a few good hits he went intangible. "Daniella, come down, let's talk about this," he pleaded. "I won't even be angry about breaking into the west wing."

"I don't care. You can be as angry as you want, you old loon! Or should I call you 'Your Majesty, King of the Fruitloops'." She gripped the chandelier's golden chain and pulled to punctuate her point, sending the whole fixture swaying and its lights flickering. "You're sick, you know that! How long have I been a piece of meat to make your babies?! Were you even my arch enemy at all? Was everything I fought for just a game to you!?" Danny screamed and yanked the chain hard.

The chandelier seemed to hover for a moment as it went dark, as the chain tore from the ceiling. And then it fell. Shards of crystal flew everywhere as the chandelier met with the stone floor and both shattered. Neither Vlad nor Danny even noticed.

"I never wanted this!" Vlad shouted. "How do I make you see that? I wanted your mother, some measure of control over my own life, anything! Not this! I never wanted this for you, I swear it! But you! You never could let me chase Maddie in peace, no, of course not. And then the cloning! Why else would I view little Daniel as a failure? Think about it! If only you'd let me finish it we wouldn't be here, you'd be living out your life with the perfect clone in your place."

"But no..." Vlad's red eyes glared in the darkness. "You couldn't even let me save you from me. You had to ruin it all again. You brought this fate upon yourself, my dear. You made sure you became my only option."

"You never deserved options, Vlad!" she shouted. "You don't have the right to ruin anyone's life, mine or my mother's!" Danny wanted to punch him so bad but getting into close proximity with him never worked out in her favor. "Even if I was a clone I would still hate you because you're still a ruthless, heartless, insane jerkface who abuses anyone he's ever come in contact with! Daniel figured that out soon enough and any child you have with me will know it to! Face it Vlad, you're going to be alone and miserable for the rest of your life and it's all your fault!"

"And where would you be without me?" Vlad demanded. "Barely graduating high school, flitting from menial job to menial job, never getting into college, never holding down a job for more than a few weeks before you have to drop everything to hunt some ghost, always relying on your parents, always disappointing them? Without me your life would go nowhere! You would do nothing! Here I at least give you a chance to do something with yourself! To become something more than a failure! How have I ruined your life then, hm? How!"

He growled at her, flying a few feet behind her as she darted around the room. "I never ruined your life, Daniella," he purred. "I gave you one. Even from the very beginning all I've done is give you your life. Give you your power. Give you your chances. I gave you the only reason you had to develop your powers! I'm giving you a chance at something here."

"Fuck your chances!" Danny yelled, puling her foot away just before Vlad could grab it. "No one cares if the Dairy King legacy goes on besides you and your uncle!" She dove through the wreckage of glass before making for the stairs up to her room. Maybe if she turned on the ghost shield and barricaded the door Vlad wouldn't be able to get inside. She flew towards the door only to be blinded by another flash of light as Vlad appeared in front of her. She barely had time to think the words 'fucking teleportation' before she smacked headlong into his chest.

A hand closed around her dress, blunted claws digging into the fabric. "I'd still rather be a failure than here with you," she snarled. "I'd even rather be dead."

"You forget," Vlad purred. "You're not the only one affected by your decisions anymore." He reached down and grabbed her belly, fingers digging into her flesh hard enough to make her gasp. "Could you really condemn an innocent to death simply to rid yourself of the burden of life? Your actions have consequences, my dear. Am I really so horrible that you'd kill to rid yourself of me?"

"Stop touching me! You'll hurt them!" Danny slammed her knee into his belly and wiggled in his grasp. Vlad grunted in pain but kept her pinned to the wall. His eyes flared and he snarled at her, very softly. Danny shivered and stopped squirming, suddenly very afraid of what he might do. "No… I won't.. I cant.. You know I won't..."

She went slack, her black hair falling over her eyes as she admitted defeat. "Fine, you win, Vlad. Just let me go."

Vlad loosened his grip on her but didn't let go, not really. He kept his hands on her shoulders, gently stroking her both to try to calm her down and to prevent her from falling over. The books did mention something about fainting and she was well known for it on the battlefield after anything really strenuous. "Come down to the parlor with me," he offered. "I'll have some hot chocolate made and you can ask me all the questions you want about my family."

Danny slumped bonelessly against the wall. Just like that another fight was defused with absolutely no progress made towards anything. She wanted to hide somewhere and lock the door but that wouldn't to her any good. She had to remember that this wasn't for her, it was for the child. Maybe... maybe she could convince Vlad to return to even some little bit of sanity. After all, she seemed to be the linchpin that was keeping from going on a rampage. "Only if you swear to answer everything I ask you," she said flatly. She pulled away from his touch and steadied herself on her feet.

"So long as you answer one question of mine," Vlad agreed. "So... why are you wearing my underwear?"

Danny stopped dead in her tracks, embarrassment reigning before indignation kicked in. "Because you obviously feel the need to look up my skirt when I'm flying," she snapped, glaring at him. "It's bad enough you took away my jumpsuit! Perverted fruitloop."

"As if your jumpsuit fits anymore," Vlad mused. "You were the one complaining it's too tight to move properly in. I'm sure your dress is at least somewhat preferable to flying around naked." A shade appeared and was then sent off as he led her to the parlor. "That still doesn't answer my question. Why are you wearing my underwear?"

"Because my butt was cold," she huffed angrily. She phased through the wall and plopped on a sofa. Her white rings flashed and she turned human, bonding the underwear to her ghost form. She was stuck without again but at least now Vlad couldn't take them away. She curled up on one end of the sofa and rested her head on a pillow. "I found your DVD collection, too," she grumbled, trying to change the topic. "How come I'm not allowed to watch TV?"

"Because I figured if you were less reminded of your old life and the outside world you'd acclimate easier," Vlad said, answering truthfully. "I wanted to make the transition as quick and easy as possible." The shade returned with a tray. Two mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream, a bowl of marshmallows, another bowl of peppermint candies, and a plate of cookies. Vlad picked up one of the mugs and licked the whipped cream off the top.

"Well you're doing a really crappy job of it," Danny muttered. She picked up her mug and curled into an even tighter ball. "Anyway I have better questions." She looked up at Vlad, a hand straying to her belly. "You don't actually want to be the dairy king do you? I know you hate cows. So your uncle had to be lying about a few things."

"I would not be surprised," Vlad admitted. "My uncle always was a scheming fruitloop. But I didn't always hate cows. When I was much younger I loved cows. They were my pets. All of them. I learned how to ride a cow perhaps a decade before I learned horseback riding. Heck, I remember playing with your father in the barn, we'd hide behind the cows and try and aim the udders at each other and squeeze..." Vlad trailed off. He didn't want to remind Danny of her parents. Yes. That was why he stopped. It had nothing to do with his own pain at the ruined friendship or the utter embarrassment he felt admitting such incidents from his past to anyone.

Danny tilted her head and sipped slowly from her mug. She had definitely not heard that one before. She wondered if she should believe him or not but it was a rather odd and embarrassing thing to lie about. The thought of Vlad and her father being friends just seemed so wrong, though. "But you still got rid of them and your picture isn't on the wall with the other dairy kings. You kicked the rest of the family out so why does your uncle get to sit around and encourage you to kidnap people?" She picked up a spoon and mixed in the whipped cream to sweeten her cocoa, throw in a few marshmallows...

"I inherited the dairy and its fortune after the accident," Vlad said. "My family was... less than willing to accept me in the position. Nothing I did was good enough. Everything that went wrong was my fault. Even something as random as a rainstorm was somehow my fault. It didn't help that my ghost powers were manifesting after so much time spent in the hospital."

He sipped his cocoa and leaned back on the couch cushions. This was a difficult story for him to tell but there was some vague satisfaction in reliving his ultimate triumph. "I had to embezzle my own money from my own company to start VladCo on the side. I supplemented it with money stolen from banks, acquired by weaselling my way into the wills of dying millionaires, various other 'evil' methods you've attributed to me before. All done with one plan in mind. I was going to buy the dairy from myself. Buy out the rest of the family and send them packing. But they refused. So I did the next best thing. I poisoned the milk. The dairy was ruined. What was left of the cows were sold for whatever price the family could get. And then I evicted them all from the castle. My portrait isn't on the wall because the first time the castle blew up I didn't feel that painting deserved to be repaired."

Danny groaned, put her mug down, grabbed a pillow, and face planted onto the sofa, covering her head with the pillow. This was getting her nowhere. She lifted her head and glared at Vlad. "Honestly, Vlad I'm not really in the mood for whatever tragic backstory you're going to claim," she said. "Not even the part where you killed innocent people to ruin a dairy. I know you're messed up and I know why you're messed up. Really, all we're missing here is an evil stepmother." She tossed the pillow across the room and sat up. "Let's try this again. All I really need is my facts set straight. Your whole life you've been like a dog chasing its tail, fine, I get that. Always wanting something but that thing always out of reach. You wanted power and you wanted out so you cheated and conned your way out from underneath your family. Then it was all about getting more power and money. It's different now though, because five years ago you decided you wanted something else."

Danny got up and walked over to Vlad. She felt strange all of a sudden, like a thought had crossed her mind for the first time. "There's a huge time gap between when you gained your ghost powers and when you started stalking my mother. If she was always your prize then you had plenty of time before Jazz or I were born. The Vlad who kicked his family out is not this Vlad. So don't tell me stories about him because I don't give two shits. I don't even care about the creepy Dairy King stuff; it's just more fruitloop to deal with." She poked him in the chest to punctuate her point. "I want to know why. I want to know what made you change gears so hard that you went from plotting supervillain to desperate skirt chaser. I want to know that because that's the real reason I'm here."

"You want to know why," Vlad mused. "Why I chased your mother. Why I chased you. Why I waited so long." He sipped his cocoa again, wishing he had something stronger to put in it. "Very well."

"Vengeance, mostly," he admitted. "It was all for vengeance. After I kicked out the family I was finally free to spend all my time on what I wanted. Power. Something I'd never really had before. And of course with power came money. And that was fine for a while. A rather long while, really. Until I turned 40. Then... Well... Then I realized how... empty my life really was. I needed more. I decided that first I needed closure over what had happened to me. I needed Jack Fenton to pay for his mistake. So I came up with the plan to seduce away from him that which he loved most: your mother.

"And I failed. Worse, the Dairy King sussed out your existence. I kept him and his twisted attempts at setting me up with you at bay by continuing to work toward my goal of vengeance. At first it worked. I'd decided I was going to kill Jack or die trying. But after your mother rejected me I started to have doubts. That's when I started toying with the idea of cloning while continuing to pursue Maddie. But after three years of being rejected, ignored, denied... I'm not an idiot, Daniella. I could see I was grasping at straws. I was looking for any excuse to avoid my uncle's twisted attempts at setting me up with you. So... I gave up resisting."

"So it was his idea then." Danny sighed. "At least now I know you're not such a creep that you've been planning this since before I hit puberty." Danny turned away and eyed the room. Maybe she should just curl up under a chair.

"I have another question," she said quickly. "If I were a clone or if I was brainwashed or if you did manage to break me, which you won't, but…" She trailed off as she lost her nerve. "Nevermind." She went back to the couch and curled up. "It doesn't matter now. You and I can bite and throw things all we want but it won't change the facts."

Vlad was curious about her question but didn't ask. Instead he plucked a cookie off of the tray and dunked it in his cocoa. "Lamenting about facts that we can't change doesn't help us adapt to them," he said. "Was there anything else?" He wondered if she would be receptive to allowing him to drape his arm over her shoulders.

Danny glared at him. "One last thing," she said. "I meant what I said before, Vlad. I'm not going to bend for this 'dairy king' shit. If you want cows I'll raise cows but the line of Wisconsin dairy royalty ends here. No more crowns and no more paintings. I'm not letting any son or daughter of mine become a fruitloop."

"I think that should be up to them, don't you think?" Vlad asked. "I'll grant you this. No stupid hats, no royal cloaks. As far as I'm concerned that dreadful costume died with my uncle. But paintings..." Vlad sat back and munched on cocoa-dipped cookie. "Why no more portraits?"

"Because that's something that pompous royalty do," Danny grumbled. "I meant ones like you have in that creepy room. The generational ones. There's nicer, less crazy ways to document your family line." She kicked her feet over the side of the sofa and laid down, resting her head on the cushions about an inch away from Vlad's thigh.

Vlad made a noncommittal hum. "Nobody appreciates anything handmade anymore," he muttered. "What if I were to show you some of the less... crazy portraits? Some of them are quite pretty, actually. There's one of my sister and I at the lake, several of the castle itself, one of the rose garden that you might like to see... The portraits in the Monarch's Hall up there are supposed to be stuffy and crazy. That doesn't mean they all have to be. Perhaps you'd like to sit for a portrait."

"Wouldn't that require the presence of another human being?" she asked. "I thought that was against the rules."

"The painter could be a ghost," Vlad allowed. "Many skilled artists never finish their work and continue on with a very real need to create. There's one I've worked with before."

Danny crossed her arms and frowned. "You'd just dress me up like a princess again."

Vlad looked her up and down, seeming almost innocently sheepish in his appraisal. "I would," he admitted. "You make a beautiful princess, my dear. But diamonds and pearls aren't what create your beauty, they merely accent it. Sometimes even detract from it. A single rose can sometimes speak more than dozens."

Danny frowned, absently tugging her dress over her legs. Vlad's complements were starting to slip past her defences. No one ever called her beautiful back home but her archenemy had a habit of doing it as often as possible. "What would you even do with a portrait of me?" she wondered aloud. "You wouldn't have chosen me, remember? Any picture of me like this would just preserve how we both failed. This isn't exactly a part of my life I need captured in oil and paint."

Because if you do run away after having our child I'd like them to have something to remember their mother, Vlad thought. But he couldn't say it. If he said it then it might come true and she might still run away. "Just because I wouldn't have chosen you doesn't mean I don't want to remember this," he said. "I very much want to remember you like this. I'm sure our child would want to see their mother like this as well."

"And this is your mother two months after she was kidnapped and forced into pregnancy. Isn't it such a lovely memento?" She sighed and rested both her hands to her stomach. "Fine," she whispered. "If it's for the kid…"

"It will take some time to contact the artist," Vlad said. That and he wanted to hold off on her portrait until she was a little fuller, a little rounder. If he was right about her then she would look absolutely exquisite as she grew with pregnancy. "A few weeks at least. Perhaps before then I can show you one of the less... crazy galleries. So you have a better idea as to what you can expect."

"Hmm," Danny hummed listlessly. She didn't mind if he took his time; maybe she'd get lucky and Vlad would forget about it. The ghost girl rested her head on her upper arm and closed her eyes. "It's your damn panting."

A still moment passed in silence before her lips parted for a one word question. "Vlad?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"My head hurts," she murmured, moaning softly and curling into herself again.

Vlad put down his empty mug and slid across the couch to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to rest against his chest. "I don't doubt it," he said. "Today has not been easy."

Danny let her shoulders slump and rested her head on Vlad's chest. The pounding in her temple had built steadily out of confusion and exasperation and now it was hard to think of anything else. She tried to open her eyes but the room started to spin around her and she quickly shut them, moaning in pain.

Ugh, she hated being pregnant. She felt so weak and useless. "How often do woman die in childbirth anyway?" she wondered.

"Very rarely," Vlad said. Still, today had likely been a horrible shock to her, body and mind. He would need to keep an eye on her for the next few days to make sure she and the baby didn't suffer any ill effects. He ran his hand through her hair, petting her to calm her down. To make sure she knew she was safe. "Close your eyes, my dear," he whispered. "Do you need me to check you out in the infirmary?"

Danny shivered and shook her head. She did not need to add another checkup to her regiment. "No… No thanks... I just need to lie down for a little bit."

"Do you want me to take you to bed?" Vlad asked. Although considering the way she was curled on his chest... "Or we could stay here if you'd like."

Danny bit her lip, Vlad was warm and her bedroom was probably ice-cold. It took a while for that room to warm up properly. She figured that came with living in a drafty old castle. "Here is good, just don't move," she murmured.

Vlad got comfortable and wrapped his arms around her. She was warm, somewhat. There was a chilling cold that lurked underneath the surface, masked by the warmth of a living body. He kissed the crown of her head, nuzzling her hair as he inhaled her scent. "Get some sleep," he whispered. "I'll keep you warm."

"Mmm," Danny hummed. Her head felt better if she didn't think about things. It was a lot easier to just relax and wait for the pain to go away. Then she would push Vlad off her and go hide in bed or under a desk or in the greenhouse for a few days. Right now though this was nice...

* * *

There is a short associated with this chapter. Check out The Prince's Choice (chapter 34 of Danny Phantom's Shorts) for more of the Dairy King's scheming.


End file.
